


Trouble

by SoulessObsession



Category: Victorious
Genre: F/F, Gal Pals Being Gal Pals, I ruined the characters sorry, LGBT, Teen Troubles, Typical High School Trope, Victorious - Freeform, When Nickelodeon Was Good
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-03-05
Updated: 2017-09-29
Packaged: 2018-03-16 10:40:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 22
Words: 50,086
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3485177
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SoulessObsession/pseuds/SoulessObsession
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tori and Jade's fights are famous at Hollywood Arts. They fight in the morning, they fight at lunch, they fight in the evening. When they get a drama assignment together, all hell breaks loose. It's hard enough to spend just five minutes together, but when they have to do an assignment that's worth half of their grade... well, Tori feels like her life is over. But what happens when Jade does the unexpected and lets Tori in? To Tori's dismay she realises she really likes the black haired beauty... And not just as a friend.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

“I do not talk like that!” Tori stressed for what seemed like the millionth time. 

“Whatever!” Jade rolled her eyes. They were in the middle of one of their famous fights- Jade had accused Tori for trying to steal her boyfriend- and Tori was, frankly, tired of it. 

“I’m so sick of you always on my back! You have been ever since we met. What is your problem?” The raven haired beauty in front of her didn’t reply, only crossed her arms and rolled her eyes once again. 

“Stop being so dramatic Vega. Besides, if you weren’t making google eyes at my boyfriend, then maybe we wouldn’t be having this conversation.” Tori made a sound of exasperation and put her hands up in surrender. By now, everyone was pouring out of their classrooms and heading to their specially decorated lockers. Tori and Jade were arguing in front of Tori’s ‘Make it Shine’ locker and she was suddenly aware of the fact that people were watching their drama. 

“You know full well that I would never make a move on Beck, because, one, he’s my best friend, and two, he’s your boyfriend!” Tori hissed. “What do you take me for? You know I’m not like that.” 

“Would you two stop fighting for five minutes?!” Andre suddenly exclaimed, coming up from behind Tori, making her jump. He was wearing a plain black t-shirt and some jeans; the t-shirt complimenting his dark skin. 

“Talk to her,” Tori said, giving up. “Because apparently I’m going after Beck… again,” this wasn’t the first time she had been accused of stealing Jade’s boyfriend. In fact, this happened regularly. But Tori was sick of this game. She wasn’t sure how much more she wanted to take from Jade. “I’m going to class.” She ignored Andre calling her name and walked to her next class with Sikowitz, which, unfortunately, Jade shared. Tori stomped into class and slammed her bag on her desk with such attitude, her teacher and a couple of other students stared at her in alarm. 

“What’s up with you, Tori?” Robbie said sitting beside her with his hand in his puppet (Rex)… no surprise there. Tori groaned silently and rubbed her temples, feeling a raging headache coming on. She was extremely confused as to why Jade was getting to her more than usual.

“Jade,” was all she let out. 

“She’s hot,” Rex said (the puppet). She stared at Robbie, slowly shaking her head. He shrugged. 

“You know what Rex’s like,” Robbie said. What the hell is wrong with this kid? At this time everyone had filed into the class and was talking to each other or texting. Tori refused to look at Jade who always sat at the back of the class with Beck.

“Alright, settle down class,” Sikowitz said, holding a coconut in his hand. They gave him visions, apparently. Believe it or not, Sikowitz has done stranger things. None of the class was listening and to everyone’s dismay, he pulled out a bright whistle and blew it as loud as he could. The piercing noise caused everyone to groan loudly and place their hands over their ears.

“Dude!” Jade yelled from the back. 

“Dude!” their teacher mimicked, sucking from the coconut he was holding and getting milk in his beard. Tori grimaced. That had to have been the least attractive thing she had ever seen. “You will be getting your assignments today!” he walked around the class, making distracting noises with his lips. Tori noticed that everyone visibly shuddered and she grinned. Despite the obvious flaws, Sikowitz had to have been her favorite teacher. 

“This assignment,” he continued. “Will be a joined effort. I will be putting you into pairs and you will have to write the script and act it out,” Tori frowned. That’s quite a large task. She was worried about who she was going to be stuck with. Anyone but Jade. 

Anyone but Jade.

“I will be giving you all a different genre and the script has to be at least ten pages long,” everyone in the room groaned. 

“Sir, that’s a huge assignment!” Robbie said. 

“Yeah, we’re not superheroes,” Rex contributed. Tori decided to put her hand up. 

“Yes Tori?” Sikowitz asked. 

“Can we choose our own partners?” Please, please, please. 

“Nope! If I did that, none of you would get any work done. I’ll be picking your partners,” there was another huge groan and Tori decided that Sikowitz was not her favorite teacher after all. Sikowitz walked to the front of the class and produced a large hat from seemingly nowhere. Tori frowned. 

“How did you do that-?” 

“Hush!” Sikowitz screamed making everyone jump. “Don’t question it! Now, I’m going to pick out two names and that person will be your partner,” he smiled pleasantly at everyone while Tori’s stomach suddenly starting flipping with nerves. 

Please not Jade.

“Robbie and Ann!” Tori heard Robbie groan. Ann was an evil blonde who never did any work. It was safe to say Robbie would not be getting any help from her. Sikowitz put his hand into the hat again.

“Cat and Beck!” Cat squealed and started giggling.

“Yay!” she screamed. Tori caught a glimpse of her dark red hair before she jumped on Beck. Beck groaned with pain and Tori glanced at Jade to see her giving Cat evil eyes. If looks could kill Cat would be dead. 

“Andre and Thalia!” Tori saw Andre grin and knew that he was happy to be partnered with his very pretty girlfriend. The nerves in Tori’s stomach got worse; she had the feeling that she was going to be picked with Jade and there was nothing she could do about it. 

“Dave and Sinjin!” Tori’s nails wrapped nervously on her desk. 

“Jade and-” Sikowitz rummaged around in the hat and Tori was suddenly very aware of her overly fast, beating heart. 

“Tori!” She knew it of course, but the confirmation made her stomach drop to her toes and her heart almost leapt out of her chest. She didn’t know why she was acting like this; it wasn’t like she’d never done a project with Jade before. 

“Sikowitz,” Jade started to protest. 

“No! I don’t want to hear it. My decision has been made. Besides, maybe this will do you two some good,” he eyed Tori and she gave him a pleading look but he ignored it. Tori glanced over at Jade and caught her glaring at her. Tori turned back around and sank lower into her chair. Sikowitz called out the rest of the partners but Tori wasn’t listening anymore. To her, her life was over. This assignment was worth half her grade and she had to do it with Jade! The one girl who has hated her ever since she came to Hollywood Arts. Tori let out a loud groan and slammed her head onto her desk multiple times, ignoring the stares she was getting. 

“Are you done defacing school property Ms Vega?” Sikowitz said. Tori groaned and with her head still on the desk, lifted up her thumbs. She could practically feel the rolling of his eyes but ignored it. She was having an existential crisis here! 

“Alright everyone, get into your groups and start planning for your assignment. Time is ticking!” Tori refused to get up, her heart still beating irrationally fast. She actually feared of a heart attack. All around her she heard seats being moved and desks being rearranged as people started talking about their assignment. Sikowitz was going around telling different partners their genres. Beside her she heard someone pull up a chair and she squeezed her eyes shut, knowing it was Jade. 

“Stop being so dramatic Vega,” Jade repeated what she’d said earlier before class and the sound of her voice caused Tori’s heart to burst and her stomach to explode in butterflies. She was confused with her reaction and still refused to look up. “I’m not happy about working with you either, but we both need good grades, so you’re just going to have to suck it up.” Tori frowned and bit her tongue to keep from retaliating. 

“Right, Vega and West,” Tori frowned again. Why was Sikowitz calling them by their last names? “Your genre is horror,” there was a pause. “And don’t make it too scarring Jade; we don’t want a repeat of what happened at your second audition for this school.” Jade chuckled and Tori stifled a grin. Jade had produced, directed and starred in her own short horror film when the new principal had come to Hollywood Arts and they had to audition to stay in the school. Needless to say, the judges were so scared (Sikowitz had jumped out of his seat screaming, running for the door) that they didn’t even think twice about letting Jade back in. That and she did have talent. Tori could at least admit that. She was also a good singer… talk about the full package.

“Well, at least we don’t have to worry about that. Horror is my specialty,” Jade muttered. Tori heard pen across paper as Jade wrote some ideas down already. Tori once again had to bite her tongue to stop her from making a snide comment about Jade being extremely scary herself so there was no surprise that she found horror easy. 

“Are you going to contribute or what?” Jade asked annoyance evident in her voice. Tori didn’t answer and Jade made an exasperated noise. “Look, Vega, I can’t do this by myself. And I swear to God, if you cost me this grade I’m going to seriously hurt you.” Tori quickly glanced up and then groaned at the bright lights. Squinting, she glanced at Jade who smirked. Sudden anger shot up Tori’s spine and she glared at her. 

“Whoa, calm down Vega, don’t want you breaking a nail,” Jade sneered. 

“God! You’re insufferable!” Tori blurted. Jade shrugged, her black hair falling in front of her face. 

“I’m not here to impress, Tori.” Jade looked straight into her eyes and Tori felt her throat close up. Were Jade’s eyes always that attractive? Jade smirked again and Tori had a sudden urge to slap it off her face. 

“You look like you want to strangle me,” she commented. 

“Because I do!” Tori said angrily. “Do you like making my life a living hell?” Surprisingly, Jade looked a little uncomfortable at that. 

“I’m hardly making your life ‘a living hell’,” Jade retorted. She glanced down at the notepad sitting in her lap but looked up again. “You know, you should stick with acting rather than singing, because you are the biggest drama queen I have ever met.” Tori’s eyes widened. 

“You’re such a bloody hypocrite! Look what happened when I hugged Beck. You completely freaked out and thought I was stealing him from you!” Tori couldn’t believe how outraged she was. She was trying her hardest to calm down, but everything about Jade-her aura, her attitude- was firing her up.

“Beck is my boyfriend! He shouldn’t be hugging any girl other than me,” Jade exclaimed, angry now. 

“I can’t believe he’s stayed with you for as long as he has. You’re unbelievably suffocating! I feel sorry for him!” Tori said without thinking. She knew immediately that she had hurt Jade’s feelings but it was too late to take the words back. For once, Jade was silent and Tori felt terrible.

“Look Jade-” Tori began but Jade cut her off. 

“No, whatever,” Jade’s voice was flat. Tori couldn’t believe that she hadn’t punched her yet. 

“I’m sorry,” she said. “I didn’t mean it, Jade. You know that right?” Tori suddenly felt frantic. That blank look on Jade’s face was hurting her more than she’d care to admit. 

“Yes you did. You all think that,” Jade said angrily. Tori grew silent. She wasn’t sure if Jade was right about that but there was some truth in what Tori had said. 

“No, Jade, of course not!” Tori said feebly; lying. 

“Save it Tori. You don’t have to spare my feelings,” the bell suddenly rang and Jade leapt from her seat like it had suddenly burst into fire and ran to Beck, wrapping her arms around his neck in an abnormal show of public affection. He looked surprised but hugged her back. Tori bit her lip at the couple and felt an unfamiliar sensation settling in her stomach. Mostly guilt but also… Jealousy?

Why on Earth would she be jealous of Jade and Beck? She never has been before. Looking down at the desk she saw that Jade had left her notebook open where she’d been writing her notes for their assignment. On it were different settings that their assignment could be based on but looking closer she saw that there were grooves from the writing on the other side of the page. She turned the page and her eyes widened. 

Beautiful girl. 

Beautiful girl? Tori whipped her head to where Jade was but saw that her friends had already left for the cafeteria. So much for waiting for her. What did Jade mean by beautiful girl? Had Jade even written this? It could be possible Beck wrote it. Tori thought about it for a moment but realized that Beck couldn’t have written it for two reasons, 1. It was Jade’s handwriting and 2. This was Jade’s notebook. The notebook she always carried around with her. It was like her diary. Immediately at that thought, Tori felt like she was invading Jade’s privacy and snapped the book close, putting it in her bag. She made a mental note to give it to Jade later. 

She quickly walked out of the classroom, her bag on her back, feeling like she was carrying a weapon that could destroy the Earth. All the while, the words beautiful girl kept floating around her brain in Jade’s voice. For some reason, shivers kept crawling up and down her spine as she thought about who Jade could have written that about. 

“Tori!” Cat’s high pitched voice brought her back to reality. 

“Hey Cat,” Tori greeted her. 

“What’s going on with you and Jade? You seem to be arguing more than usual and she seemed upset when we left class,” that was the most serious sentence Tori had ever heard Cat say. Guilt immediately wracked her body and she struggled to stay nonchalant. 

“I’m not sure Cat,” Tori sighed. “I think I’ve hurt her feelings.”

“You should talk to her Tori,” Cat said. Suddenly her phone buzzed and she took it out, read the text and gasped. “My brother’s in the hospital!” 

“Oh my goodness, what happened?” Tori asked in alarm. 

“He got a toy car stuck up his-”

“Okay!” Tori interrupted, not wanting to hear which body part her psycho brother had got a toy car stuck. Though, she had a pretty good idea. Tori shuddered at the thought. “Where’s Jade now?” 

“She’s sitting with the others at the cafeteria. It’s pizza day!” Cat shrieked loudly, making Tori wince. “Anyway, I should probably get going. I have to go see if my brother’s okay!” Tori watched the red head run to the school doors and almost fall into a bin in the process. She chuckled and headed towards the cafeteria. Almost immediately her stomach twisted with nerves and she frowned. She mentally chastised herself for being ridiculous. Her strange emotions were worrying her so she made a pact there and then. She would control her feelings until the assignment was over. She would also make an effort to be nice to Jade, long enough for Jade not to rip her head off. And to do this, she was going to apologize to Jade properly for her horrible comment in Sikowitz’s class. It was a good start anyway. 

Tori walked outside to the lunch tables and spotted her friends in the usual place, all sitting around a round table eating today’s pizza. Tori took a deep breath and headed over to them. 

“Hey guys!” she chirped cheerfully, placing her bag down and sitting- with all the grace of an elephant- next to Jade. Everyone looked at her strangely for this and she bit her lip nervously.

“What the hell are you doing?” Jade asked more venom in her voice then Tori would like. It made her all the more nervous.

“About to eat some pizza, what else does it look like?” Tori immediately slapped herself for retorting as quickly as she did. Not a great start. 

“It looks like you just sat next to me.” Tori noticed that Jade’s beautiful blue-green eyes were murky with anger. Obviously Jade hadn’t forgiven Tori- not that she had expected her to. 

“Is that a crime now?” Tori asked slightly miffed.

“I don’t want you anywhere near me,” Jade retorted. Tori’s heart stung at that and she frowned. 

“Well that’s going to be hard seeing as we have to do an assignment together!” Tori’s voice was rising. So much for her plan. 

“Guys, stop arguing!” Beck finally intervened. 

“Cat fight!” Rex exclaimed in his creepy voice. 

“Rex! Don’t be so rude!” Robbie started arguing with his puppet and then Beck and Jade started arguing because Beck had taken to Tori’s side on the matter, saying that Jade should listen to her. This, of course started the whole, Tori-Is-So-Obviously-Trying-To-Steal-My-Boyfriend subject and they ended up screaming at each other over the table. Tori looked exasperatedly at Andre who just shrugged, put his headphones on and started playing his keyboard. 

This was going to be harder than she thought.


	2. Chapter Two

Tori’s fingers glided across the keyboard in a tune nobody had ever heard her play before. Unlike the usual, mainstream pop, she was playing a song that had captured her heart the first time she’d heard it; Therapy by All Time Low. She hummed along with the chorus, getting lost in the music. Above her, she heard her older sister Trina singing (really badly mind you) as she showered. Tori smiled to herself and shook her head slightly as she played. 

“Who knew Vega liked something other than that Ke$ha rubbish.” Tori screamed loudly and whipped around to see Jade standing by the front door. 

“How the hell did you get in my house?” Tori yelled clutching her chest, trying to keep her heart from ripping out of her skin. Jade rolled her eyes and threw her bag on the couch and proceeded to jump on said couch. 

“You’re overreacting again and you should really lock your door,” Jade answered turning on the TV as if she owned the place. Suddenly, Trina came running down the stairs with a towel wrapped around her and shampoo still in her hair.

“I heard screaming! Is everything okay?” Trina asked frantically in an unusual display of emotion for her younger sister. 

“I’m fine, it was just Jade,” Tori sighed gesturing to the Goth who had managed to find a gruesome horror film on the TV. 

“Ugh, it’s you,” Trina said with clear contempt in her voice. 

“Nice to see you too, Trina!” Jade said not caring in the slightest. 

“Well, thank you for ruining my shower Tori.” Tori opened her mouth to protest but Trina just ran back up the stairs. Moments later the shower was turned back on. Tori glanced at Jade in disbelief; wandering how the girl could be so comfortable in a place she’s only been maybe, three times before. Tori walked to the couch and sat gingerly on the side as if Jade was the one who lived there instead of her. 

“What are you doing here?” Tori said wincing as the girl on the TV screen got sliced to pieces. Jade laughed satanically at the scene and Tori seriously considered calling the cops. When Jade proceeded to ignore her, Tori grabbed the remote and switched the device off, causing a furious Jade to glare at her.

“Hey! I was watching that!”

“I’m the one who lives here, not you!” Tori said confused at the whole situation. “What are you doing here?” 

“I wasn’t going to come over in the first place,” Jade said settling back onto the couch, choosing not to pick an argument with Tori. “Beck persuaded me to come over here and work on our assignment. By the way, we’ll only be working on the assignment here, got it?” Tori knew better than to disagree.

“Fine; how did Beck ‘persuade’ you, anyway?” Tori asked. Jade looked disgruntled and muttered under her breath. 

“He said he wouldn’t take me out for a whole month if I didn’t.” Tori bit her lip as some degree of hurt spread through her body. She was offended about being a second choice. Jade shouldn’t have to be persuaded to work on the assignment with her. Jade noticed the look of hurt on Tori’s face and changed the subject, not wanting to deal with feelings right now. 

“Let’s start on the project then, shall we?” Tori nodded and grabbed a piece of paper from the kitchen.

“While you’re there, could you get me a soda?” Jade asked. Tori growled slightly and tried extremely hard not to retaliate. Jade chuckled lowly when she heard the sound of displeasure come from the brunette’s lips. Tori grabbed the drink from the fridge and with a sickly sweet smile, threw it at Jade’s unprotected face. As expected, the can slammed into her cheek and she screeched, holding her face. 

“You-you-” Jade spluttered glaring harshly at Tori. 

“Oops,” Tori said giving Jade the most innocent smile she could muster. Jade’s nostrils flared and her eyes were screaming bloody murder. 

“I despise you,” Jade hissed as Tori sat next to her with the pieces of paper in her hand and a pen in the other. Tori ignored the hurt shooting through her heart (Jade had been there ten minutes and Tori had already been offended more times than in the past week) and rolled her eyes.

“What a surprise,” Tori muttered.

“You threw a can at my face!” Jade exploded.

“Whatever!” Tori shouted back. The two fell into silence as Tori furiously scribbled on the paper, writing down the task of the assignment just to distract her from her anger. After a while her scribbling slowed and she let out a sigh.

“This is stupid.”

“What?” Jade said rudely.

“This,” Tori said gesturing between them. “We have to do an assignment together and we can’t even be in the same room for five minutes without arguing.” Jade bit her lip and shook her head slightly, brushing her hair from her face, refusing to look at Tori.

“Fine,” Jade finally let out. “Give me the pen before you rip a hole through the paper.” Tori looked down and realized she had been drawing in the same spot, leaving a dark mark. She blushed and gave the pen to Jade. Jade started writing on a fresh piece of paper and Tori took the time to relax into the couch. She suddenly caught herself staring at the side of Jade’s face, her eyes capturing every movement; her tongue peeking out of her mouth in concentration, the occasional biting of the lip, and the glazed look in her beautiful eyes as she got lost in the writing.

“You know, you’ve been staring at me for the past ten minutes,” Jade commented, finally looking up at Tori. She smirked when she saw that she had successfully made the brunette blush. 

“Sorry,” Tori muttered suddenly feeling the need to walk around. She got up and went to the foot of the stairs, spotting her school bag lying there. The moment her eyes set on the bag she remembered the very dangerous object resting in it. Jade’s notebook. Tori’s eyes widened and wandered if it was a good idea to give it back to her. If she didn’t, the notebook would soon be found missing and Jade would put two and two together. Needless to say, Tori’s face could be in danger. Making a snap decision, she grabbed the black notebook and proceeded slowly back to the couch.

“Um, Jade?” Jade grunted in reply. “Don’t get mad at me,” immediately the girl’s eyes snapped up to Tori’s. “Today in class, when we had our… argument, you kind of left your notebook on the desk.” Tori took the notebook from behind her back and gave it to Jade. For a second Jade seemed… scared? But that look was quickly replaced with anger. 

“If you read anything-” Tori quickly back pedaled. 

“No! No, no, no. I would never do that,” Tori hastily said, lying through her teeth. She had read something. Beautiful girl. It had been haunting the brunette all day. Jade eyed Tori suspiciously but, for some reason, decided to trust her. 

“Alright, I believe you,” Jade muttered and bent over their assignment again. Tori was surprised. 

“That’s it? You’re not going to hurt me or something?” Jade looked back up, amused. 

“Why would I hurt you?” Jade gave Tori her full attention and leant back, stroking her chin. Tori was still standing up and she shuffled her feet, nervously. 

“Well, because-” she couldn’t find an answer to her question. Jade laughed and Tori was amazed at how attractive the girl looked when smiling. 

“You’re staring again Vega,” Jade commented still smiling. Tori once again blushed and sat down heavily on the couch.

“Your teeth are distracting,” she said lamely.

“My teeth?” Jade’s voice was full of laughter and Tori was disorientated by the sudden mood change. 

“Yeah, they’re… white.” 

“White…” Jade repeated looking at their assignment again. 

“Your mood swings confuse me,” Tori blurted without thinking. Jade frowned.

“Don’t ruin it Tori,” ruin what? “Get over here and read what I’ve written. Tell me what you think,” Jade said moving over slightly to give Tori room. Their arms were touching though and the contact caused goose bumps up the brunette’s arm. Tori swallowed hard but leaned over the paper, reading what Jade had come up with so far. To say Tori was impressed was an understatement. Jade’s horror idea was brilliant, slightly cliché, but Tori knew they could pull it off. 

“Wow- this is… great!” Tori exclaimed. 

“You seem so surprised,” Jade muttered. 

“Well, I’ve never really had a chance to see what you can do,” Tori explained. “The last time we did a project together was when we did the stage fighting and that didn’t go so well,” they both grimaced at the memory. They hadn’t known each other for very long but Jade had pretended that Tori had actually hit her during their scene which had resulted in Tori having detention (cleaning up food from a food fight). Jade, however, had come through and had joined Tori in her punishment. “I always knew you had talent though,” Tori finished. Jade gave Tori a half smile.

“Thanks… Your singing doesn’t suck,” Jade said uncomfortably. It was silent for a moment as they sat awkwardly. Tori couldn’t help the smile on her face though, knowing that that was the closest Jade had ever come to complimenting her. 

“Look Jade, about today. I felt so bad about what I said-” Jade interrupted her. 

“I don’t want to talk about it. Just because we’re doing this thing together, doesn’t mean we’re friends,” she said bluntly. Tori sighed and ran a hand through her hair. 

“Right, note taken,” she said flatly. Jade looked at Tori’s downtrodden face and felt guilt shoot through her veins, taking her by surprise. It was unusual for Jade to feel guilt towards a person. She rarely felt it even with Beck. Jade took Tori’s arm and squeezed it slightly. 

“Don’t take it personally,” she whispered. “I’m not really friends with anyone.” Tori’s breath caught when Jade’s warm hand touched her and she sighed quietly at the contact. 

“What about Beck then?” Tori asked finally, fighting to close her eyes against the sudden weariness that had caught over her. All she wanted to do was snuggle up to Jade and sleep. The moment Tori thought this, she frowned. This was so strange!

“Beck’s different,” was all she said. Jade’s hand slid down her arm and rested lightly on Tori’s thigh. Tori bit her lip, wandering what was happening. Her brain had clouded and she was having trouble concentrating. 

“What do you mean he’s different?” 

“What is this, twenty questions?” Jade asked slightly irritated. 

“I’m just trying to get to know you,” Tori muttered and then yawned loudly. 

“Don’t,” Jade stood up abruptly. “You’re tired and it’s late. I should get going.”

“Wait!” Tori stood up clumsily, grabbing Jade’s arm. “I don’t want you to hate me, Jade.” Jade’s eyes softened at the sleepy girl before her. 

“I don’t hate you, Tori,” Jade said softly. Tori smiled sleepily, barely keeping consciousness. 

“You didn’t call me Vega.” Jade smiled. 

“Goodbye Tori. I’ll see you at school tomorrow.” Jade went out the front door, closing it quietly behind her. Tori managed to make it to her bed where she passed out, dreaming about a certain raven haired beauty.


	3. Chapter Three

Tori shoved her books into her locker, closed the door and turned on the ‘Make it Shine’ letters. She grinned at the sight and internally congratulated herself for being such a genius, remembering how difficult it was to come up with a way to decorate her locker.

“I still think it looks stupid,” Jade commented from behind her, scaring her to death.

“For goodness sake, what is up with everyone and trying to give me a heart attack?” Tori complained grabbing her chest as her heart, once again, tried to leap out of her body. Jade just smirked and proceeded to take out a thick, black pen and before Tori could figure out what she was doing, the girl wrote the word stupid in big, capital letters on her locker.

“Hey! Why the hell would you do that?” Tori exclaimed angrily, grabbing the pen from Jade and trying to rub the obscenity from her beautiful locker. Jade laughed evilly.

“It’s just like when we first met, do you remember? You decorated your locker with that idiotic whiteboard thinking it was creative,” she cackled. Tori gave her a death glare and grumbled under her breath. Apparently last night hadn’t happened to Jade and she was back to her normal, rude self.

“You suck,” Tori said lamely, walking away from her and towards her next class.

“God, you’re so easy, Vega. You should toughen up a little,” Jade replied walking in step with Tori. To Jade’s surprise, Tori pushed her into the nearest batch of lockers and glared angrily at the black haired beauty.

“Lay off, I’m not in the mood today,” she growled. Jade looked surprised but quickly covered it up with a sneer as she leered down at the brunette. Tori had Jade pinned underneath her and couldn’t help but notice how perfectly their bodies melded into one another. Jade’s breasts were pressed against hers and she took a quick intake of breath, realizing that their faces were too close for comfort. Jade swallowed, suddenly nervous, which was an unfamiliar feeling.

“Uh, Tori?” she said uncomfortably. Tori seemed to snap out of it and let go of the Goth, blushing furiously, refusing to look at the girl.

“Sorry,” Tori muttered. Jade cleared her throat and straightened up, pretending that their encounter hadn’t happened.

“So, why are you in such a bad mood today?” Jade asked as they started walking again. Tori shook her head and sighed.

“My parents aren’t coming home for my birthday,” she said quietly.

“Ah, and you’ll be stuck with Trina,” Jade guessed nodding understandingly.

“Well… yeah,” Tori agreed miserably. She loved her sister but Trina could be a little… intense, sometimes.

“That sucks,” Jade said. Tori glared at her.

“Thanks for the comfort, Sheldon Cooper,” Jade let out a surprised laugh.

“Did you just- refer to the Big Bang Theory?” she asked laughing harder now. Tori went as red as a tomato.

“Yeah, yeah I did. Do you have a problem with that?” Tori challenged stopping in front of Jade and staring her squarely in the face. Jade smirked.

“You know, at this rate, we’re never going to get to class,” Tori rolled her eyes but didn’t move. “What, are you going to shove me into a bin this time?” Jade asked slightly nastily.

“I might do,” Tori said relishing the idea of Jade falling face first into garbage.

“Ooh, look at this everyone!” Jade suddenly yelled, causing the students closest to them to stop and stare.

“What are you doing?” Tori hissed.

“Tori Vega here has found her balls!” Jade said wickedly, ignoring the brunette. “She has found her miniature, girly balls!” Some people started laughing (mainly because they were afraid Jade would deck them if they didn’t). Tori growled angrily and punched Jade’s arm as hard as she could.

“Ouch,” Jade said with no emotion on her face at all. Tori stomped her foot, ignoring the fact that she knew she looked like a brat.

“You’re so-so-” Jade raised an eyebrow.

“So, what?”

“Annoying!” Tori exclaimed turning around and heading in the opposite direction to where her class is.

“Drama is over here, dumbass,” Jade called pointing to the stairs. Tori ignored her and angrily stormed into the toilets. Standing in front of the mirror, she saw how flushed her face was and her eyes betrayed how worked up Jade had gotten her.

“Damn you, West,” Tori muttered under her breath. To her surprise, hot tears welled in her eyes as she realized how upset Jade really made her. She was terribly confused. Why was Jade acting like this, when last night she was being civil and even (dare she say it?) friendly!? She ran her hands under the cool tap and splashed her face, trying to calm down.

“Get a hold of yourself, Vega. It’s only Jade. She’s only a girl. There’s no need to get so worked up about it,” Tori muttered to herself as she dried her hands and face. Sighing, she opened the bathroom door slowly, just in case Jade was still there.

Jade was still there, but not alone. To Tori’s complete and utter dismay, Jade and Beck had their lips locked in what looked like a passionate kiss. Tori’s stomach twisted and a well of anger bubbled up inside her, although she wasn’t entirely sure why. Instead, Tori decided to act on her anger and she stormed over to the couple, barging into them violently. Beck protested.

“What was that for?” he complained wiping his Jade- covered lips. Tori gave him a glare that put even Jade’s to shame. Beck immediately shut up and put his hands up in surrender. Tori turned to Jade who was smirking and raised her eyebrows.

“Is something wrong, Tori?” she asked sweetly. Tori bit her lip to keep in a foul insult. She wanted nothing more than to wrap her hands around the girl’s neck.

“What’s going on with you two?” Beck asked.

“Stay out of it!” the girls yelled at him. Beck frowned and muttered under his breath something that sounded suspiciously like, ‘girls and that time of the month.’

“I can’t do this Jade,” Tori said sounding defeated. “I’m done. I can’t stand being around you at school when you act completely different when we’re alone. You’re a horrible person right now and I can’t stand this version of you,” Tori bit her lip when she saw hurt flash across Jade’s face; just for a second, but it was there. “I’m going to talk to Sikowitz about changing partners.”

“Whoa, Tori, don’t you think that’s a bit-” Beck began.

“Shut up, Beck!” Tori yelled.

“No, I won’t! You’ve been shutting me out all week and now you’ve just insulted my girlfriend,” Beck retorted. Tori was on the verge of tears; all she wanted to do was leave.

“She didn’t insult me,” Jade quickly said. Her voice was slightly rough but other than that, there was no sign Tori’s words had affected her at all. “In fact, I completely agree with her. She should look for another partner because she’s annoying and… I don’t like her.” Beck looked at Jade skeptically, not believing a word his girlfriend was saying.

“You guys have been working together for two days! I know you've had a rival thing going on for a while now, but it can’t be that bad, can it?” Tori shrugged. She was unbelievably upset and was struggling to hide it.

“All I’ve ever been is nice! I’ve been trying to make an effort and this is how she treats me!” Tori exploded. The words, don’t take it personally suddenly popped into her head as she remembered what Jade had told her last night. Jade on the other hand, was suddenly angry and she pulled out her Southern accent that she used to imitate the girl, knowing it made her furious as hell.

“Oh dear, look at me! I’m Tori Vega and I’m so innocent and sweet. I think I have everybody wrapped around my finger and that everyone will do my bidding just by batting my eyelids and flipping my hair,” Jade sneered.

“I don’t talk like that!” Tori almost screamed in frustration.

“Whatever,” Jade spat venomously.

“You guys are hopeless,” Beck said clearly annoyed. “Although, I do agree with Tori to some degree. You treat her like shit, Jade.” This was the worst thing Beck could have said. Jade went off her head.

“Oh, now you’re going to take her side over mine? What kind of boyfriend are you?” Jade screamed. By now, they had clearly missed half of their drama lesson that they were supposed to have been participating in and somewhere at the back of Tori’s mind registered this, worrying that they were going to get into trouble.

“I just think that you should-”

“No!” Jade yelled her voice getting higher. “That’s the thing, you don’t think!” Tori was starting to feel extremely guilty and uncomfortable. What if they broke up? It’d be Tori’s fault.

“Guys, look. There’s no need to argue about this. We’ve already agreed that I’ll talk to Sikowitz about changing partners and-”

“Shut up, Vega!” Jade groaned holding her head. “Your voice is giving me the worst headache.” Tori made a sound of indignation.

“Well your voice isn’t exactly the peachiest either,” she retorted.

“Ooh, good one,” Jade said sarcastically. Beck was just about to re-enter the argument when they were interrupted by a fourth party.

“What are you kids doing out of class?” Tori’s eyes squeezed shut as her stomach dropped. They were done for. It was Lane, the school’s guidance counselor.

“We’re just talking… sir,” Jade said snappily. 

“You’ve missed twenty minutes of this period and if you can’t show me a pass then I’m going to have to give you detention,” Lane said. Tori glanced desperately at Beck who looked just as worried. Jade, however, didn’t give one. Single. Damn.

“Fine, whatever,” she muttered.

“All three of you have detention on Friday. Luckily for you, the school would have just had its food fight from the new play. So you’d better bring some gloves!” Lane seemed to overly happy about this prospect and walked off, whistling merrily.

“Another food fight?” Tori moaned. “What is wrong with this school?” Tori’s eyes met Jade as they both remembered the last time they had had detention which was also cleaning up food from a food fight. Jade rolled her eyes.

“Great, thanks a lot you guys,” Beck complained. “I was going to go out with Andre to see a concert on Friday, but now you’ve ruined those plans.”

“Us?” Jade and Tori both exclaimed.

“Yes! If you two hadn’t have been arguing like a bunch of three year olds, then this would never have happened!” Jade and Beck started bickering at each other worse than before and Tori decided that she didn’t want to stick around. Instead, she turned and walked quickly to class, Jade and Beck never even noticing that she was gone.


	4. Chapter Four

Tori’s stomach dropped as she arrived at school on Friday. Today was the day of her detention with Jade and Beck and she was dreading it. She even thought about chucking herself in front of a bus, just so she wouldn’t have to deal with it. That thought came strongly back as she saw Jade in front of her scissor locker furiously taking out the scissors and stabbing them back in. Tori gulped and tried to walk to her own locker as quietly as she could without letting Jade know she’d arrived. 

“Vega!” Jade screamed and Tori winced; her ninja skills obviously needed work. 

“What is it Jade?” she sighed as the Goth stalked towards her. It intimidated Tori but at the same time she found herself unable to look away. 

“It’s your fault that I have this damn detention this afternoon and I’m angry!” Jade exploded swinging a pair of scissors around her fingers. Tori eyed them warily. 

“Can you put those scissors away?” she asked timidly. Jade suddenly stopped swinging them and she leaned over Tori menacingly, causing Tori to back against her locker. She bit her lip and stared into the beautiful, murky eyes of Jade West. 

“Do they scare you?” Jade murmured. Tori shook her head quickly, causing the girl to smirk. “Have you seen the Scissoring, Vega?” Again, Tori shook her head, not liking where this was going. “It’s one of the greatest horror films alive. It’s about this girl who comes back from the dead and attacks her two best friends with scissors. Starting with the pretty girl,” Jade whispered menacingly. Tori swallowed loudly, the sound of her heartbeat ringing in her ears and her palms were suddenly sweaty.

“You-you think I’m pretty?” Tori gasped out her head swimming as she breathed in Jade’s scent. Vanilla and mint. Extremely inviting. Jade scowled.

“Out of everything I said, all you heard was ‘starting with the pretty girl?’” Tori blushed but couldn’t help but notice that Jade hadn’t moved. 

“Hey Jade-” Robbie suddenly came up beside them, Tori could barely see him because of how close Jade was. 

“No!” Jade screamed at the poor boy, who yelped, tripped over his feet and ran away screaming. 

“Did you have to be so rude?” Tori complained trying hard not to be overwhelmed by the closeness of their bodies. She was starting to notice how well they fit together again and she didn’t want to think about that; it was wrong and… for goodness sake, this was Jade West.

“Does it look like I care?” Jade retorted. Tori rolled her eyes.

“Can you get off me now?” Tori asked. She was getting uncomfortable because of her thoughts. All she wanted to do was stay away from Jade for as long as she could. Jade cocked her head to the side which Tori found so attractive she wanted to cry. 

“Is Tori Vega uncomfortable?” she whispered in the brunette’s ear who struggled to hide her shudder. Tori couldn’t take anymore and pushed out from under Jade, surprising her.

“I don’t get you!” Tori said suddenly annoyed. Jade just stood in front of her, eyebrow raised and arms crossed over her chest. “One minute you are the biggest bitch on Earth and the next thing I know, you’re being all…” Tori waved her arms around for a minute, struggling to find the right words. “Like this!” 

“It amuses me,” Jade shrugged. Tori went red in the face. 

“It-it amuses you!?” she exclaimed. “I don’t appreciate being your entertainment! I’m not something you can push around!” Jade was suddenly grinning widely. 

“Wow, Vega. I think your balls are growing,” she winked at the brunette who spluttered and turned even redder than she was before. She could feel the heat radiating off of her ears. “I’ll see you in detention,” the Goth started swinging her scissors again and began whistling the creepiest tune Tori had ever had the displeasure of hearing. Once Jade had left (and Tori had stopped staring at her ass) she realized that people were lookimg at her, probably wandering what on Earth had just happened. 

“What are you all looking at?” Tori spat, in a horrible mood. They all bent their heads quickly and went about their business. 

“Tori, we need to talk,” Tori turned around and saw her best friend, Andre Harris looking worried. 

“What’s wrong, Andre?” Tori sighed leaning against her locker. She felt like she’d aged a million years. 

“I’m concerned about what’s happening between you and Jade,” Tori made to protest but he cut her off. “It’s not just me. The whole group is wandering what’s going on. You two have been at each other’s necks worse than I’ve ever seen before,” Tori bit her lip. Obviously Andre was unaware of the teasing and flirting Jade was torturing her with. 

“Don’t ask me!” Tori said. “I’ve been wandering the same thing ever since we got that wretched assignment together. Damn Sikowitz,” she muttered under her breath. The bell rang and Andre sighed.

“Just-just try and not rip each other’s heads off in detention, alright? Beck said he’s going to keep an eye on you two.”

“Beck!?’ Tori exclaimed. “Beck is useless! He was arguing with Jade just as much as I was!” Andre just shrugged and walked off to his next class leaving Tori to mutter obscenities under her breath.  
*  
The Black Box Theatre was reeking of different foods which were thrown all over the walls. Tori couldn’t even see the paint under all the desserts and savories. 

“Oh man, it stinks in here!” Jade said loudly entering the room. Tori’s heart immediately sped up at the sight of her. Behind Jade was Beck and Sikowitz. 

“Where’s Lance?” Tori asked ignoring the other two.

“He had a meeting after school,” Sikowitz announced. “He asked me to cover this detention,” Tori found herself being glared at by the teacher.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” Tori asked annoyed. 

“Because I’m surprised at you, that’s why.” Sikowitz actually looked disappointed and Tori’s insides shriveled up. This was all because of Jade and she was sick of it. 

“As much as I like seeing Vega get chastised, when are we going to start this pointless detention?” Jade asked. Tori fought the urge to strangle the girl. 

“You and Tori are going to stay here and clean the theatre and Beck, you’re going to come with me. I have something else planned for you.” Tori and Jade stared at their teacher in disbelief.

“You’re leaving me here with her?” Jade screeched. 

“Sir, please,” Tori begged. 

“Everybody is sick of your fighting and so am I,” Sikowitz said surprising the girls. “You two are not to leave this school until you sort out your differences! I’ll be back in two hours.” And with that, he grabbed Beck by the arm (who barely protested) and dragged him out the room, closing the door behind him. Immediately Tori went to the door, not believing what her teacher was putting her through, and tried to open it. 

“He-he actually locked it!” she exclaimed. Behind her she heard Jade scream loudly and punch the food covered wall. 

“I can’t believe this is happening! I’m stuck with Tori Vega alone for two hours! I’m going to kill Sikowitz!” Tori winced but realized that complaining wouldn’t change their situation, so walked over to the seething Jade carefully.

“Jade, I know this sucks, but please calm down.” Jade’s beautiful eyes followed Tori warily but she visibly relaxed. A sudden thought popped into Tori’s head and she was immediately paranoid. “Don’t get mad, but do you have your scissors with you?” Jade broke out into a smirk. 

“Why? Does that worry you?” she practically purred and Tori’s heart burst. 

“You’re doing it again,” Tori muttered. 

“Doing what?”

“The weird, mood swings,” Jade just shrugged. 

“Do you want to check if I have my scissors on me?” she asked with a glint in her eyes. Tori swallowed as the Goth spread her legs and arms wide, inviting the brunette to search her, airport style. Tori hesitated but accepted the invitation and slowly, placed her hands on Jade’s arms. Tori had touched Jade before of course, but this was completely different. 

The atmosphere was suddenly so thick Tori felt like she couldn’t breathe and as soon as her skin made contact with Jade’s, both girls stiffened. 

“Well?” Jade demanded being the first to recover. Tori snapped out of it and started to pat her hands down Jade’s covered arms. Tori suddenly wandered why Jade always wore   
such long sleeved shirts… even when it was summer the girl did. 

“Are you having fun?” Tori didn’t even have to look at Jade to know she was smirking. The brunette decided to up the stakes and moved her hands up Jade’s arms and across her neck and down her sides. Tori heard the Goth take a sharp breath and the brunette grinned, feeling sudden power over Jade. 

“Are you having fun?” Tori whispered in the raven haired girl’s ear, her hands still trailing down Jade’s sides and stomach. The contact was making Tori light headed but she loved it. Jade made a slight growling noise in her throat and pushed Tori off of her. Tori just smirked. “The tables have turned, I see,” she said. Jade literally snarled but Tori wasn’t fazed. 

“That will never happen again,” Jade said her voice strained. Her eyes had gone dark and a shiver went through Tori. Jade turned her back to the other girl and picked up a small shovel like tool and began to scrape food off the walls furiously. Tori decided to leave Jade alone and followed suit, scraping food on her side of the room. 

After a while, Tori’s arms were starting to get tired. All she wanted to do was go home. Jade hadn’t spoken one word to her since the beginning of their detention and she was getting tired of the horrible silence between them. 

“What’s the time?” Tori finally asked putting her shovel into her food filled bucket. 

“I am not your clock,” was all Jade said. 

“Could you please just check? I left my phone in my locker,” Tori replied. Jade sighed dramatically and dropped her food scraper with a loud clang. There was a rustling noise as the girl searched her bag before finding her phone. 

“It’s 4:30.” 

“Great, only half an hour to go!” Tori said suddenly feeling a lot more invigorated. 

“Thank God,” Jade muttered.

“Oh come on, it hasn’t been that bad,” Tori defended herself. 

“You practically molested me,” Jade sneered. Tori gaped, feeling her face warm up.

“You asked me to search you!” she exclaimed.

“Yes, search, not freaking feel me up!” By now the two girls were facing each other angrily. “Sometimes I think you’re gay,” Jade said bluntly. Tori’s face was now on fire as she struggled to find a suitable reply. The truth was; Tori’s sexuality had been on her mind for a while now as she was fairly sure she was attracted to the raven haired beauty in front of her. The concept was alien and frightened her, which of course, resulted in word vomit. 

“Says the woman who wrote beautiful girl in her notebook!” Tori’s eyes widened and she clamped a hand over her mouth. She should not have said that. Jade, for once, looked speechless. She opened her mouth, closed it again and went pale.

“You-you lied to me!” Jade was very angry and Tori was almost frightened. “You said you didn’t read anything in my book!” 

“I only saw that,” Tori tried to make amends but only made Jade angrier. 

“Oh, so that’s all right then! To think I actually trusted you Vega,” Jade looked disgusted with herself. 

“Jade, please-” Tori made a step towards Jade. 

“If you value your life, you wouldn’t come any closer to me,” Jade hissed.

“I was curious Jade-”

“Curious!?” Jade sounded almost crazy now. “You know Vega, curiosity killed the cat,” to emphasize her warning, the Goth took out the pair of scissors she was hiding in her belt and snipped them menacingly. 

“Alright, alright! I made a mistake Jade, and I’m sorry,” Tori put her hands up in surrender and sat by the door, praying that Sikowitz would come soon. Sure enough, ten minutes later Sikowitz opened the theatre doors and Jade raced through them as if the building was on fire. Sikowitz took one look at the despair on Tori’s face and sighed. 

“I’m guessing that didn’t go so well then.”

“Not at all,” Tori groaned.


	5. Chapter Five

Jade West had been stuck in Tori’s mind for the past week; relentlessly reminding her of the guilt she felt and the fact that she hadn’t had a chance to amend things because the raven haired beauty had been successful in her amazing avoiding skills. Every time Tori saw Jade, the girl was either attacking Beck’s lips or ferociously stabbing scissors into her locker. And forget about their assignment. They hadn’t worked on it at all and Tori was getting seriously worried. So on that Monday, Tori decided that the whole situation was ridiculous and that she was finally going to talk to Jade, whether she wanted to or not. 

The bell rang for lunch and Tori slung her back pack over her back, took a huge breath and walked out of her science class and to Jade’s locker. To her relief she saw that the Goth wasn’t there yet. She examined the girl’s locker curiously, noticing with awe (and fear) at how deep those scissors were embedded into the metal. Jade was obviously quite strong. For some reason this thought sent a pleasurable shiver down her back and she cleared her throat at the sudden inappropriate thoughts.

Snap out of it, Vega.

Tori glanced up at that moment and spotted dark locks rushing away from her. Tori immediately got angry and raced after the Goth. 

“Jade!” Jade didn’t answer only moved faster. “Jade, for goodness sake! Stop running away from me!” Tori growled and grabbed the girl’s arm, roughly pulling her to a standstill. Being this close to Jade again made Tori’s stomach flip and her palms grew sweaty. Jade’s eyes were glaring and the brunette flinched, suddenly questioning her own sanity as to why she would ever consider doing this in the first place. 

“What the hell do you want?” Jade gritted her teeth. Tori was aware of peeping eyes so she dragged Jade to the janitor’s closet. “What?! What are you doing Vega? I’m not going in there with you!” Jade struggled but the brunette’s grip was like iron. Tori threw Jade into the small room and closed the door behind them. The noise of the hallways was suddenly muffled and Tori sighed in relief. Jade immediately tried to get out but Tori blocked the way, grabbing Jade by her shoulders. The girl winced but settled down, groaning in defeat.

“Get your hands off me, Vega,” she hissed. Tori immediately let go of the intimidating girl and backed against the door, arms over chest. 

“Look, West,” Tori spat, angrier than she’d intended. “You need to get over yourself because we have an assignment due in two weeks and we haven’t done anything only because you’re pissed at me over something that I have already apologized for.” Jade’s eyebrows hit the roof at the abruptness of the usually calm girl. Tori was continuing to surprise her more and more. For once, Jade was speechless. 

“Well?” Tori demanded. Jade did the only thing she knew how. 

“Oh, look at me! I’m Tori Vega and I think that I can use my cuteness to get away with everything!” Jade mocked the brunette in the usual Southern drawl. Tori went red which Jade only just noticed under the dim light of the closet.

“God, I hate you!” Tori blurted out jabbing Jade in the chest. The Goth gasped at the contact and took an involuntary step backwards. “Why can’t you just accept the fact that I’m sorry and move on?” Tori shook her head and sighed. “Why can’t you accept the fact that I want to be friends with you?” 

“What is wrong with you!?” Jade retaliated pushing back at Tori so that the brunettes back was pressed against the door. “I treat you like shit and yet you still come back for more!” Tori swallowed and could just make out the glint in the beautiful girl’s eyes. Their bodies were pressed against each other, breast against breast, stomach against stomach. They fit perfectly together and Tori knew that Jade had to have been thinking the same thing because she heard the Goth sigh slightly. 

“Because, under that bitchy act, I know that there is a sweet, caring girl who is worth it,” Tori emphasized the last part, staring intently into the other girl’s eyes. It got too much for Jade and she had to look away. “You proved that, that night you came over to work on the assignment, and-and, Beck is dating you so there has to be something,” Tori trailed off. “You know, I’m jealous of him,” Jade frowned averting her eyes back to Tori. 

“Why are you jealous of Beck?” her tone was cautious, as if she was afraid of the answer. 

“He gets to see the real you,” Tori said simply. Jade didn’t say anything, only leaned away from the brunette slightly and ran a hand through her hair. She looked like she was having an eternal war with herself and Tori realized that this was the first time she’d ever seen Jade so raw and… open before.

“I’m not friends with people,” Jade muttered. 

“I know,” Tori answered. 

“No, I mean, I’ve never had a real friend who is a girl before. I don’t know how to act. I just-” she stopped talking and then looked at Tori sharply. “What am I saying? Why am I even talking to you?” Tori frowned.

“Jade, stop. Why are you so afraid of opening up to me?” Tori demanded. 

“I’m not afraid!” Jade retorted, scoffing slightly. This was a lie, Jade was scared. She really had meant it when she said she’d never had a friend before. And it had only been yesterday when Beck had asked why she was so horrible to Tori. They had been hanging at Beck’s house when he asked. Jade had told him that Tori was too nice and he’d been incredulous. Jade remembered in particular what he’d said to her:

“Jade, I can’t give you everything. I’m not enough. You need something else in your life. Someone else. You need a friend.”

And he’d been right. There were some things she just couldn’t tell her boyfriend. To be honest, she was getting sick of only being around Beck all the time. There was something missing; she was just afraid of change.

“Look, we have to do this assignment anyway, so please, can you at least be bearable until we finish it?” Tori finally said exasperated. Jade suddenly gave Tori her trademark smirk that made the brunette’s heart skip a beat. God, she was beautiful. 

“Yeah, I think I can do that,” Jade drawled out. Tori shook her head and stared at Jade in disbelief. 

“Can you please explain to me your freaky- and sometimes scary- mood swings?” she asked. 

“They’re not that bad,” Jade waved off dismissively. “By the way, Beck, Cat, Robbie, Andre and me are all going around Beck’s place after school, want to come?”

“You weren’t originally going to tell me, were you?” Tori said, offended slightly that she hadn’t heard about this before. Jade chuckled. 

“No, I wasn’t, but I’ve changed my mind.”

“Why?” 

“I just have,” Jade said in finality. Tori rolled her eyes. 

“Fine, can you give me a ride though?” Jade bit her lip as she thought about it. I guess it wouldn’t be too bad.

“Yeah, but don’t be late. Meet me by my locker,” Jade said quickly and before Tori could thank her, the girl was out of the janitor’s closet and disappearing down the hallway faster than Tori could think a coherent thought. 

The final bell of the day rang and Tori’s stomach exploded into butterflies. She was about to get into a car with Jade, alone. She wasn’t sure if she was excited or scared at the prospect. As promised, she waited outside the scissor locker. She didn’t have to wait long. Five minutes of standing awkwardly and the Goth rocked up with her usual attitude which Tori no longer found irritating. Instead her heart hammered and she felt desire shoot up her spine so violently that her legs went to jelly. 

“You alright, Vega?” Jade asked warily opening her locker and shoving her books inside it. 

“Yeah, yeah, I’m fine,” Tori squeaked. Jade smirked a little, finished with her locker and spun around to the brunette who, once again, squeaked at the sudden movement. 

“What’s wrong with you, Vega? Surely you’re not scared about me giving you a ride, are you?” Jade winked and started whistling that creepy tune from the other day. Tori gulped and pushed Jade slightly. 

“Please stop doing that, it freaks me out,” Tori said sheepishly. Jade grinned but did as the brunette asked. 

“Let’s go,” Jade said grabbing Tori by the wrist and dragging her all the way to her black, BMW. Tori was in too much of a daze to protest. She was so taken by the raven-haired girl that she was unable to do anything but have a raging war inside her mind. Snap out of it, it’s just Jade. But look how amazing she is. She’s so beautiful. Wait, what are you thinking? SHE’S A GIRL!

“Do I have to drag you inside the car as well? Seriously, what’s wrong with you?” Jade was starting to get irritated with the girl. But she was also slightly worried. 

“I’m so sorry,” Tori said hastily before getting into the passenger seat. Jade shook her head and got behind the wheel, started the car and drove out of the school’s parking lot. 

“When are you going to get your driver’s license?” Jade asked. Tori blushed. 

“I don’t know,” she answered. She had failed her test because she had gotten distracted by a dog on the sidewalk and had almost ran over an elderly crossing the street. It was silent for a while but it wasn’t awkward. Tori found herself more at ease with Jade than she’d ever been before. 

“What are the plans for this afternoon?” Tori asked. Jade shrugged, her eyes on the road. 

“We’re just going to hang out. I think Cat mentioned something about Disney movies but I’m not sure.” Tori raised an eyebrow.

“Disney movies?” Jade chuckled.

“Yeah, Disney movies. But don’t worry, I brought my own film.” There was a mysterious glint in her eyes and Tori gulped. It was probably a horrible horror movie.   
Jade pulled up to Beck’s driveway and stopped the car. She got out and went over to Tori’s side, opening her door for her. 

“Ladies first,” she smirked. Tori looked suspiciously at her but climbed out. They went to the door but instead of knocking, Jade barged straight through as if she owned the place. Tori wandered if the girl acted like that with everyone. They walked through to the living room to find everyone already there. As soon as they made themselves known, shocked faces were looking up at them.

“You gave Tori a ride?” Beck asked cautiously. 

“And you didn’t kill each other?” Andre added incredulously. Both girls rolled their eyes. 

“Don’t be so dramatic Andre,” Jade retorted settling herself down on Beck’s lap. Tori gritted her teeth at the action. She didn’t understand why it annoyed her so much. “Besides, does it look like I killed her?” Jade winked at the brunette who shook her head and plopped down beside Cat on the floor. 

“Hey!” she squealed and wrapped her arms around Tori, squeezing the life out of her. 

“H-hey, Cat,” she choked out. “Could you l-let go now? I can’t-breathe.” Cat quickly let go and giggled. 

“Oops!” she reached beside her and pulled out a plastic bag of DVD’s. “Look what I brought! Disney films!” Everyone groaned and she immediately pouted. “Aw, come on. Who doesn’t like Disney movies?” Cat took The Lion King and put it into Beck’s DVD player. During the movie Jade got up to make popcorn, but when she came back, she decided to sit on the other side of Cat. Tori had had enough of the floor so she took Jade’s spot next to Beck. She had expected the Goth to glare at her or something but she barely noticed. And that was when Cat decided to rest her head on Jade’s lap. Jealousy flared in the brunette but when she noticed Jade playing with the girl’s red hair, she flew up from the couch angrily. 

“Are you okay Tori?” Beck asked concerned. She could feel Jade’s eyes boring into her and she excused herself to go to the bathroom. She climbed the stairs quickly and slammed the bathroom door behind her. She glared at herself in the mirror. 

“Come on Tori, what the hell are you doing?” she whispered to herself. Behind her the door suddenly slammed open and Tori let out a small scream. “For goodness sake! Didn’t I lock the damn door?” Tori cursed and Jade stood there looking irate. 

“Vega, seriously, what the hell is wrong with you today? You’ve been acting so… odd,” Jade commented, staring intently at Tori, who shuffled uncomfortably under the gaze. Her face was ridiculously hot. 

“Nothing’s wrong,” Tori muttered.

“You are the worst liar. What happened downstairs?” 

“Why are you being so nosy?” Tori said heatedly. Jade shook her head. 

“Fine, whatever. I don’t really care anyway,” Jade made to leave but Tori grabbed her arm.

“Now who’s lying?” Tori retorted. Jade’s eyes narrowed. 

“What are you talking about Vega?” 

“You wouldn’t have come up here if you didn’t care,” Tori said smiling slightly. Jade looked like she wanted to strangle the brunette. 

“Fine!” she exploded. “Fine! You’re right! I do care and it sucks! It sucks because I’ve never had to care before and I’m not used to it.” Tori bit her lip at the sudden confession and she walked a little closer to the Goth, who took a step back. 

“I’ve been thinking,” Tori said lowly, getting closer to the girl. “You’ve never hated me. You only treated me like you did because you were scared of someone getting close to you,” Jade’s eye twitched. “Am I right?” Tori pressed. 

“Yes,” Jade hissed. “You’re right and I hate it.” Tori didn’t respond, instead she threw her arms around the raven-haired beauty and held her close. Jade gasped in Tori’s ear, not expecting the move, but slowly, she returned the hug, pulling Tori in even closer, if that was possible. Both girls sighed into each other. Tori’s mind was swirling. Nothing else existed except for Jade.

Jade, Jade, Jade, Jade. Tori took an involuntary breath and was consumed by vanilla and mint. God, it was so enticing that all Tori wanted to do was take a bath in the scent. She was so attracted to it, it was ridiculous.

“Are you… sniffing me?” Jade asked huskily in the brunette’s ear sending a shiver up her spine. She felt Jade’s body vibrate underneath her in silent laughter. 

“So what if I am?” Tori whispered and to emphasis her point, she took a huge sniff and nuzzled her face into Jade’s neck. Jade stiffened. 

“What are you doing?” Jade whispered. Tori took another deep breath and slowly broke away from Jade. Both girls sighed quietly at the lack of contact. 

“Sorry,” Tori apologized feeling her face go red again. She quickly brushed past Jade to leave but Jade stopped her.

“I’ll be over your house tomorrow,” Jade whispered in her ear and Tori couldn’t help but notice how seductive the comment sounded to her. But all she did was nod and made her way back downstairs to the others. Nobody asked her what happened and she was glad. She took her seat next to Beck and tried to act normal and watch the rest of the movie with them. When Jade came down a few minutes later, she gave Tori the cold shoulder. Tori tried not to feel bad as she knew this was all an act, but then she realized something.

She liked Jade and not just as a friend.

I am so screwed.


	6. Chapter Six

“Come on Vega, this assignment is due in two weeks and it’s not going to do itself!” Jade announced barging into Tori’s house. Tori was on the couch doing her homework but grinned when she heard the girl’s voice. 

“Do you insist on having to make yourself known like that? I mean, I do have a doorbell,” Tori teased, moving her books so Jade could sit down.

“Where’s the fun in that?” Jade retorted, putting their equipment down. “Good news though, I asked Sikowitz and he said that we could film our play instead of acting it on stage.” Tori raised a quizzical eyebrow.

“And why is that good news?” Jade looked at the brunette as if she was stupid. 

“Because, Vega, that means we can add special effects. We’re doing a horror… trust me, this is to our advantage.” Tori shrugged.

“As long as you’re doing all the technical stuff then I’m down.” 

“You are just a pretty face aren’t you?” Jade chuckled. Tori frowned.

“I’m not sure if that was an insult or not,” she muttered. 

“Don’t worry, it was,” Jade flashed a wide grin and Tori’s heart stuttered. 

“You’re in a good mood,” Tori noticed. Jade shrugged. 

“I guess.” 

“Oh, speaking of which, Beck is coming around for a few minutes tonight,” Tori said clicking her fingers as she remembered. 

“Why?” Jade asked harshly. Tori frowned at her reaction. Were they fighting again? 

“Are you guys okay?” Tori asked tentatively. 

“We’re fine,” Jade snapped, all the playfulness from before, gone.

“I don’t believe you,” Tori said bravely. Jade scoffed.

“I don’t care if you believe me or not.” Just then the doorbell rang. 

“At least he announces himself like a civilized person,” Tori muttered as she got up to get the door. She heard Jade growl which made her smile. She opened the door and saw the handsome boy before her looking distracted.

“Hey Tori,” Beck came into the house and then noticed Jade on the couch. “J-Jade? What are you doing here?”

“I could say the same to you,” Jade said barely even noticing his presence. They were definitely fighting. Tori shot Beck a look but he ignored her. 

“Tori had my notes from biology.”

“Vega and I have an assignment together, remember?” Jade said finally looking up from the school stuff. Beck nodded quickly. 

“Well, Beck, your notes are on the kitchen counter,” Tori interrupted. She got the book and gave it back to the boy. “Thank you so much for them by the way you’re a real life saver.” Beck gave Tori a genuine smile. 

“Any time Tori. Well, I’ll see you at school,” Beck walked to the door. “Bye babe,” he called over his shoulder to Jade. Jade merely grunted. The poor boy sighed and left leaving a thick silence between the two girls.

“What the chiz was that?” Tori asked settling back down on the couch. 

“Nothing,” Jade said quickly. Tori frowned at the strange behavior but decided to drop it. She didn’t want to make the girl mad. “Anyway, you’ll be happy to know that I’ve already written the whole synopsis of our play. All we have to do is write the script now.” 

“I’m impressed,” Tori admitted looking through the work the raven-haired beauty had done. As she was reading she felt Jade’s eyes boring into her side and she squirmed under the gaze. 

“I was thinking about getting my eyebrow pierced,” Jade blurted out. Tori looked up in surprise and blushed when she saw how intently the girl had been staring at her. 

“Y-your eyebrow?” Tori managed out and then cleared her throat. She pictured the piercing on Jade and knew immediately that it would suit her. She would look even sexier than she already did.

“Yeah, what do you think?” Jade asked. Tori was even more surprised. Since when did Jade West ever ask Tori Vega for her opinion? 

“You should get it,” Tori’s voice was lower than normal and Jade broke into a smirk. “It would… look good.”

“I think it would too,” Jade responded. “Now let’s work on this thing.”

*****

“Johnny! Don’t go in there!” Tori cried as dramatically as she could. Jade threw back her head and cackled loudly. 

“My God, that was so bad!” Tori frowned and rolled her eyes.

“It’s not my fault you made the script cliché as hell.”

“Damn Vega, you’ve grown some balls lately,” Jade said smirking. Tori blushed and shook her head. 

“Whatever,” Tori muttered leaning back into the couch with a sigh. “We’ve been working on this for two hours,” Tori suddenly grinned. “And we haven’t argued once.” Jade rolled her eyes. 

“I don’t know why that makes you so happy,” Jade commented finding it amusing at how much the brunette’s eyes had lit up at the prospect. 

“Because, we’re actually acting like friends!”

“Seeing as we’re so close and all that,” Jade said sarcastically. “You wouldn’t mind ordering from Nozu for us.”

“Nozu delivers now?” Tori asked confused. 

“Nope,” Jade grinned evilly. “You’re going to drive down and pick the food up.” Tori just smiled. 

“Fine, but don’t get annoyed if I get the wrong sushi,” Tori grinned. 

“If?” Jade spluttered. “Don’t you dare get the wrong one on purpose!”

“I know, I know, you like chicken and avocado, right?” Tori asked picking her purse up and getting ready to leave. Jade looked surprised.

“Yeah, I do. How’d you know?” Tori shrugged.

“We’ve been eating there for years, I think I’d know what you like, Jade.” 

“Right,” Jade trailed off. She wasn’t sure why but a warm tingling had started in her stomach when she’d realized that Tori does pay attention to her. Tori grinned and sauntered towards Jade. The dark haired girl shrunk back slightly, eyeing her warily. When Tori put her face close to hers, Jade was unable to move, let alone breathe. 

“What are you going to do if I get the wrong sushi?” Tori whispered. Jade was overwhelmed by the scent of lavender and vanilla and struggled to get her mouth to move.

“H-hit you,” Jade stuttered.

“Sure you will,” Tori was so close to Jade’s ear that her breath was tickling it and Jade repressed the urge to wrap her arms around the brunette and pull her closer. 

“What makes you think that I won’t?” Jade growled. 

“Because you love me,” Tori winked and left the house leaving a very stunned Jade sitting on the couch. "By the way, if you get a phone call from me, it'll be because the cops have pulled me over for driving without a license."

"Drive carefully then!"  
*  
The whole journey to Nozu’s and back was filled with Tori’s mind overanalyzing the whole night she had spent with the raven-haired beauty. God, she was so amazing. Every little thing she did was so perfect in Tori’s eyes. Tori could barely keep her hands off of her the entire evening. When she finally pulled into her house her hands were shaking with nerves. She grabbed the white package that contained the Japanese delicacies and made her way back into the house. To her surprise, and slight panic, all the lights were off. 

“Jade?” Tori’s voice was high pitched. She tried to flip the light switch but they didn’t come on. The power must have been off. Tori cursed under her breath and made her way over to the couch, her arms outstretched so she didn’t bump into anything. Suddenly, arms wrapped around her from behind and Tori screamed. A hand covered her mouth, muffling her voice. 

“Shh, it’s just me Vega,” Tori heard Jade’s low voice in her ear and she immediately relaxed. 

“Jade! You scared me to death!” 

“That was the point,” Jade chuckled. Tori twisted out of her grip and slapped her across the face. Well, where she thought was her face anyway. 

“Ow! That was my boob!” Jade shrieked. 

“Serves you right!” Tori exclaimed but blushed anyway at her extremely off hit. Jade grumbled. 

“The power’s off,” she muttered.

“No shit, Sherlock,” Tori said. 

“Whoa, did Vega just swear?” Jade asked. Tori rolled her eyes and tried to make her way to the kitchen. She did successfully and reached under the sink for torches and candles. She handed Jade a torch who turned hers on and searched for matches. 

“Here,” Jade said handing her a lighter. 

“Why do you have a lighter?” Tori asked raising an eyebrow at her. Jade’s face was illuminated by the torchlight, and in Tori’s opinion, she looked even more attractive than usual. The Goth smirked at her and rolled her eyes. 

“Why do you think I have a lighter?”

“I didn’t know you smoke,” Tori commented. The thought didn’t deter her although she didn’t particularly approve of the vice. Jade hummed as Tori spread the candles out on the table and lit them. 

“Let’s go up to your room,” Jade said suddenly. Tori was surprised and apprehensive. 

“Why?” she asked carefully.

“Because I’m sick of down here,” Jade replied as if that was the most obvious answer in the world. Tori nodded and together they brought some of the candles up to the brunette’s room. Tori watched Jade’s face carefully as they entered. The girl looked around for a moment and Tori saw, to her glee, an impressed look on Jade’s face.

“I’m pleasantly surprised Vega,” Jade commented. “I was expecting pink and ponies, not posters and bands,” Jade flopped onto the bed, picking up a stuffed toy. “Although, I was expecting this.” Tori rolled her eyes and joined the girl on the bed, stifling a yawn.

“Aw, is Vega tired?” Jade teased poking her in the side. Tori gave her a strange look.

“You’re acting weird,” she commented lying down on her bed. Jade lay next to her, their arms touching. A sudden thought occurred to her and she moved so that she was on top of Jade, their faces close together. Jade was surprised at the motion and glared at the brunette who was now too close for comfort. Tori gazed intently into the beautiful blue-green eyes.

“Are you high?” Tori asked. Jade looked at her for a second but then burst into laughter, her body vibrating underneath Tori’s. Tori was suddenly so captivated by Jade’s smile that she almost forgot to breathe. 

“No, I am not high,” Jade mocked her laughter subsiding. Blue eyes met brown and things became intense. The air was so thick Jade could have cut it with her scissors. “Tori,” she breathed out and Tori’s heart stopped. Jade made her name sound so… special.

“Jade,” Tori whispered back. Jade suddenly felt a bubble of pleasure curl in her stomach. All she wanted to do was wrap her fingers in the brunette’s hair and kiss her fiercely and that scared her. She didn’t want to ruin the moment because she was actually enjoying it, but she couldn’t let this continue. She had a boyfriend for crying out loud! She looked away from the intense gaze and gently knocked Tori to the side. She heard the brunette sigh. 

“Sorry,” Tori muttered lying back down on the pillow and staring at the ceiling. Her eyes were getting heavy and Jade’s scent was pulling on her heartstrings. 

“For what?” Jade asked. Her voice was light and breathy. Tori had never seen her like this before but it made her ridiculously happy.

“For-for making this awkward,” Tori stammered. 

“You didn’t,” Jade said simply. 

“So, are we friends now?” Tori asked.

“You already know the answer to that.”

“Yeah, but I want to hear you say it,” Tori admitted. Jade sighed, leaned on her elbow to face the brunette and gave her a wry smile.

“You, Tori Vega,” she began pointing to Tori. “And I, Jade West, are friends.” She pretended to shudder at the thought and Tori grinned, lightly punching her on the arm.

“Are you going to stay tonight?” Tori asked hopefully. Jade hesitated for a second but the pleading look on the brunette’s face made her decision.

“Fine,” Jade drawled. “But if you snore I will kick you out of your own room.” Tori laughed. 

“Don’t worry, I don’t snore,” she giggled. Jade smiled and rolled her eyes. 

“Sleep, now,” she ordered pulling the duvet over the girl. Immediately the warmth overtook Tori and she felt her eyes closing. Jade got in next to her and Tori reached over and pulled her in close. She felt the Goth stiffen underneath her but she soon relaxed resting her head on the brunette’s neck. The last thing Tori thought was how much she wished she could do this every night.


	7. Chapter Seven

Happy birthday to me! Tori uploaded on the Slap and sighed. Her parents still weren’t back from… wherever they were and Trina had left earlier with some friends. Tori didn’t even know Trina had friends! The girl’s mind drifted to Jade and she once again sighed. It had been a week since Jade had been around Tori’s house, and the girls hadn’t really spoken to each other. The raven-haired beauty had been giving Tori the cold shoulder during school. It stung the brunette but she knew it was just an act. Jade didn’t want anyone knowing that she and Tori were friends. 

They were secret friends. 

My parents still aren’t back, Tori messaged Jade, threw her phone on her bed and got into the shower. When she was finished, she threw on some clothes and checked her phone. 

How the fuck did you get my number? Tori rolled her eyes and blushed. 

Uhm, I got it from Beck. Tori bit her lip and tried to calm her sudden nerves. 

I’m not even going to comment on that. Tori sighed with relief, glad that Jade hadn’t gotten angry at her or tried to accuse her of stealing her boyfriend… again. Her phone beeped.

Happy 17th birthday, Vega. Tori grinned and felt her stomach flip.

Thanks Jade. Tori sighed happily and felt her mood brighten considerably. She looked at the time and cursed. She was going to be late!

*  
“Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you! Happy birthday dear, Tori! Happy birthday to you!” It was lunch time and her friends were singing Happy Birthday; Tori’s face was bright red from the attention. The only one not singing was… you guessed it! Jade West. 

“Thanks everyone,” she beamed. 

“No problem,” Andre said. “So… are you doing anything tonight?” Tori thought about it. Her parents wouldn’t be home and Trina certainly wouldn’t miss her.

“Nope,” she answered popping the ‘p.’ 

“Okay good, because we’re having a party!” Beck chipped in. Tori raised her eyebrow.

“Where is this party?” she asked suspiciously. 

“It’s at my uncle’s place. He’s agreed to lend it to us for the night,” Andre answered with a whoop. The atmosphere around the table was an excited one and it was starting to rub off of Tori. 

“How many people are coming?” 

“Um, a few?” Andre answered. Tori narrowed her eyes but shrugged it off. Andre’s uncle’s house is huge and the last time she had been had been interesting to say the least. “Jade will drop you off after school.”

“Since when?” the Goth finally spoke and glared at Andre. 

“Beck said that-”

“Beck said that?” Jade said dangerously low. Tori bit her lip and glanced at Beck who seemed a little off put. 

“I thought that’d be fine-” 

“No you didn’t! You didn’t even ask me!” 

“What’s the problem?” Tori asked slightly offended. Jade rounded on her and she flinched. 

“You’re the problem!” she yelled before storming away from the table. Without hesitation, Tori leapt up and ran after the black-haired beauty. 

“Jade!” she shouted grabbing the girl’s arm. They were out of earshot from the others. “What is wrong with you?” Jade sighed and turned around. 

“Nothing, I’m just- just having a bad day.” Tori looked at the girl worriedly. Her beautiful eyes were dull and she looked on the verge of tears. 

“Jade,” Tori whispered. Actual tears welled up in the girl’s eyes and she wiped them away angrily. Something really bad must have happened for Jade to cry. 

“I’m sorry for what I said,” Jade muttered. Tori was shocked at the real apology. She was not used to Jade actually caring about something. Without thinking, Tori stepped forward and wrapped her arms around the upset girl. To Tori’s even more surprise, Jade returned the hug forcefully, almost strangling the brunette in the process. Jade’s body started shuddering and Tori felt wet tears land on her neck and shoulders. 

“Oh Jade, please tell me what’s wrong,” Tori whispered, stroking the black hair.

“I-I,” she stuttered, took a deep breath and suddenly pushed Tori away. It was an extremely weak effort which worried Tori even more, but she stepped back anyway. Tori watched as Jade attempted to wipe her cheeks clean and swiped a finger under her smudged eyes. The fact that she had been crying had made her eyes turn a bright green, and Tori’s breath caught. She was so beautiful; crying or not. “It doesn’t matter. I don’t need your help,” Jade said forcefully but Tori could hear the waver in her voice. 

“Jade, don’t push me away.” The black haired beauty rolled her eyes and put both her hands on her hips but she couldn’t fool Tori; not anymore. Tori knew that almost everything about Jade was an act which just made her want to unravel her all the more. 

“Stop acting like we’re friends, Vega,” Jade said. Surprisingly there was no venom in her voice; it sounded more like a warning. “You don’t want to be.” Tori frowned. 

“What is that supposed to mean? And last week at my house you said we were!” Jade threw up her arms in exasperation, her eyes shining again. 

“Ugh! Just forget it Vega!” 

“God, you’re so confusing!” Tori exclaimed. “First you hate me, then you act like we’re friends, and then you go all cryptic-like on me leaving me at square one!” All the fight left Jade and she slumped, shrugging her shoulders. 

“You’re right. This is one of the reasons why I said you don’t want to be friends. You deserve better,” Jade whispered the last part and Tori swallowed, suddenly unsure of what to say.

“I don’t care,” Tori replied stubbornly. Jade shook her head, a wry smile suddenly appearing on her face. 

“I always loved that about you,” she muttered. “No matter what I throw at you, you always come back for more.”

“Like I said, you’re worth it,” Tori took a step forward. “And I am not giving up on you.” Jade closed her eyes and sighed. 

“I’ll drop you off tonight. I’ll pick you up at 6,” Jade turned around. “Oh, and happy birthday.” Tori smiled slightly, watching the raven- haired beauty walk away from her. 

*

What do I wear?!

Tori rushed frantically around her room trying to find something at least decent to wear at the party. She checked her phone and saw that it was ten to 6. Jade would be here in ten minutes and she wasn’t even ready. Tori sighed and decided on a short blue dress with black boots.

The doorbell suddenly rang and Tori was filled with nerves knowing Jade was on the other side of the door. The brunette ran down the stairs and yanked open the door, all the while trying to flatten her hair so that Jade would not realize that Tori had actually ran to greet her. 

“Um, hello,” Jade said smirking slightly at the flustered girl in front of her. The girl’s eyes drifted obviously up and down Tori’s body and Tori shivered feeling something hot curl in her stomach. “You look amazing,” she breathed. Tori’s mind went blank as she took in what Jade was wearing. A beautiful short, black dress that almost matched Tori’s with a black cardigan covering her arms and black high heels. 

“Not as good as you,” Tori breathed back. A sudden draft blew and a waft of Jade’s scent washed over her, making her keel on the inside. She practically moaned and Jade’s eyebrow shot up. 

“Why thank you birthday girl. Now are you done staring? Or can we leave?” Jade smirked and threw Tori a wink. 

“We-we can leave,” Tori stuttered, grabbing her purse and following Jade to her car. The night air cleared her mind slightly. She felt like she was high… on Jade. She got in the car, the small space immediately causing Jade’s scent to wash over her in waves. The whole ride she sat in dazed silence, struggling to remember her name. She couldn’t believe how much Jade was affecting her! 

Twenty minutes went by in silence. Every now and then Tori would glance at the girl beside her who looked utterly distracted by something else. Tori wandered if it had anything to do with Beck… or her. Finally, they arrived outside the giant, typical Hollywood house. It was huge and white with wide, glass windows everywhere you looked. The front lawn was massive with a long, winding gravel road leading up to the door. Outside there were cars parked everywhere and Tori wandered how much a few was to Andre. Did she even know half these people? 

“We’re here,” Jade stated. Tori sighed and opened her door slightly, suddenly not all that eager to go in. Jade reached over and slammed the half open door close. “What’s wrong?” Jade immediately asked sounding… worried? Tori looked at the girl and smiled but it felt fake; even to her. 

“I don’t know,” she said truthfully. And she honestly did not know what was wrong. Just a few hours ago she was buzzing at the prospect of a birthday party… but now? All she wanted to do was go home and curl up with Jade on the couch. That’s all she wanted and that’s all she’s ever wanted. 

“Tori,” a shiver went up Tori’s back at the sound of her name coming off the raven-haired girl’s lips. She didn’t know how much more of this she could take. 

“What?” Tori snapped, more rudely than she had intended. Tori was still facing the window so Jade grabbed her arm and turned her around. 

“This is your birthday party Vega, you have to at least show your face,” Tori nodded sighing as she saw all the people entering the house. “One dance and I’ll take you home.” Tori’s eyes widened. Once dance? With her? 

“W-wha-?” Tori stammered. Jade rolled her eyes and got out the car, walking to Tori’s side while Tori was still trying to process the prospect of dancing with Jade. 

“Come on Miss Confused,” Jade teased pulling Tori out of the car. Tori reluctantly followed Jade up to the door, all the while waving and saying ‘hi’ to random people when they wished her a happy birthday. They finally went inside and once again, Tori was blown away by how grand it was. All open spaced, wooden floors, expensive coffee tables and paintings. It was filled with people and somebody had set up giant speakers which music was blaring out of. 

“Happy birthday!” Andre yelled from behind them. This started a chorus of ‘happy birthday’ as everyone realized that the Birthday Girl had arrived. Tori turned bright red and muttered shy thanks. 

“Now that the Birthday Girl is here, let’s party!” Andre yelled again and everyone cheered. The boy went up to the front of the room where a couple of steps led up to a raised ledge that had a DJ kit decked out on. 

“Let’s find Beck,” Jade said grabbing Tori’s wrist and dragging her to the middle of the room. Tori groaned quietly, not wanting to see Jade make out with her boyfriend. After pushing past many dancing (and grinding) couples, they came across Beck and Cat dancing together. Well, dancing was a stretch. Cat was flinging her hair back and forth, giggling like a maniac, and Beck was bobbing to the music and trying hard to look like he didn’t know the red-head beside him. He was holding some kind of drink in his hand. 

“Is that alcohol?” Jade immediately snapped when they arrived. Beck looked relieved when he saw them but then his smile turned into a grimace when Jade scolded him. Tori felt sorry for the boy. 

“Of course not dear,” Beck said over the music. Cat suddenly screamed and attacked Tori, giving her a giant bear hug. 

“Cat! Stop killing Vega!” Jade snapped again and Cat let go of Tori with a squeal. Tori gave Jade a grateful look and she actually… smiled at her? Tori blinked and swallowed hard at the sudden warmth spreading through her. Jade grabbed the cup that was in Beck’s hand and sniffed it. Tori could practically hear the growl that came out of Jade’s mouth. 

“It is alcohol you asshole!” Jade yelled dropping the cup on the floor. 

“What’s the big deal? It’s only a small amount,” Beck said looking genuinely confused. Tori was also confused as to why Jade was overreacting the way she was. 

“All you guys are the same. Inconsiderate dick heads,” Jade said harshly before pushing her way through people as fast as she could. Tori and Beck stared after her in bewilderment. 

“What the hell just happened?” Beck demanded. Tori shrugged. 

“I’m going to… see if she’s alright,” Tori said hastily. She didn’t want Jade to be upset but she also didn’t want to lose her driver. She hurried the way Jade had gone, people were crowded everywhere. The atmosphere was intense and Tori found it hard to breathe. After pushing and squeezing past grinding couples Tori still hadn’t found the Goth girl and she was just about to give up and go back to Beck when she spotted the girl in a corner sitting on the floor with her head in her hands. Jade had been almost invisible because of the black clothes she was wearing. Tori made her way to the girl and sat quietly next to her. 

“Jade?” Tori asked quietly. Jade sighed and slowly looked up with a slight frown on her beautiful face. 

“Why is it that whenever I’m upset you’re the only person who comes to see if I’m alright?” she murmured. Tori barely made out what she said over the music. 

“Because I’m your friend,” Tori reminded her gently. 

“Cat’s my friend.”

“Yeah, well…” Tori trailed off. “We all know what Cat’s like.” Jade chuckled and nodded. 

“Do you want to get out of here?” Tori asked. Before Jade could answer, Andre’s voice came over the microphone. 

“Alright folks! It’s time to slow it down, so grab a partner and get dancing!” Tori sighed and rolled her eyes at Jade. To her surprise there was a glint in the other girls’ eyes. 

“One dance remember?” Jade held out her hand for Tori. Tori’s eyes widened and she swallowed. 

“Me?” she asked stupidly.

“No shit Sherlock,” Jade replied rolling her eyes. Tori hesitated before warily putting her hand in Jade’s. Jade’s skin was soft and warm and when she wrapped her hand around Tori’s, Tori almost fainted at how amazing it felt. Jade gave Tori a genuine smile which Tori weakly returned. Jade walked Tori to the middle of the floor and she was in such a daze she didn’t even recognized the song, but when she did, she gasped. 

“I love this song,” she breathed as Therapy by All Time Low came over the speakers. 

“I know,” Jade whispered as she slid her hands down Tori’s side and rested them on her hips. Tori gasped again at the contact and found it hard to look at the beautiful girls’ eyes. 

“Did-did you do this?” Tori asked still refusing to look at Jade. 

“Yeah, I spoke to Andre before the party,” Why would she do that? This is so weird! Jade West actually did something nice for me. “Don’t let it get to your head Vega,” she warned. Despite herself Tori chuckled and mistakably glanced at Jade. Jade was staring intently at the brunette and her sea coloured eyes were so distracting that Tori forgot how to breathe. Jade then decided at that moment to pull them tightly together, breast against breast, stomach against stomach, Jade’s breath washing over Tori’s face smelling strongly of mint. Tori actually swooned and Jade had to support her body weight. 

“Are you feeling alright Vega?” Jade whispered in the brunette’s ear. 

“Y-yeah, I’m fine,” Tori replied mentally chastising herself for being such a pansy. Jade laughed and started to swing her hips in time to the music. Tori almost moaned when she felt the heat between her thighs turn blinding. Inappropriate thoughts kept appearing in her mind and she thought about getting away from the girl but Jade had her in such a tight grip she could barely move anything except to swing her hips in time with Jade’s. Jade started to hum the song in Tori’s ear which in turn did crazy things to Tori’s body. 

“Jade,” Tori moaned out as Jade’s hands slid lower down Tori’s body. 

“Yes, Tori?” 

“I-I-” Tori made out when the song suddenly ended and Jade stepped away from her. Tori made a strangled noise in her throat from the lack of Jade’s body. 

“I’ll be waiting in the car. Don’t take too long otherwise I’ll leave without you,” Jade said abruptly and turning away leaving Tori to wander what the hell just happened?


	8. Chapter Eight

“Tori!” Tori turned around to see Beck coming towards her with a confused look on his face. He almost tripped over two couples who refused to get out of his way. “Did you see where Jade went?” Tori swallowed hard, her brain still fuzzy from the dance and Jade’s scent. 

“Um, she-she’s waiting for me at the car,” Tori said shaking her head slightly. Beck frowned. 

“Are you alright? You look a little… out of it. Did you have any of the alcohol?” Tori shook her head. 

“Of course I didn’t,” Tori retorted. 

“You wouldn’t have liked it, it was crappy. Anyway, I want to talk to Jade. Do you think she’ll listen?” Tori bit her lip and hesitated. She didn’t want Beck to talk to Jade and really thinking about it, it was because she didn’t want the two to make up. That thought made her feel guilty and she swallowed the emotion quickly. 

“I-I’m not really sure if that’s a good idea.” 

“Why not? She’s my girlfriend and I’m sick of arguing with her,” Beck said slightly heatedly. The music that was pounding throughout the building was giving Tori a headache and all she wanted to do was go home. Preferably with Jade. 

“You guys argue all the time; don’t you think that maybe… maybe it’s time to move on?” Tori asked sheepishly. Beck stared at her. 

“Are-are you serious? Why would you say that? You’re the one who always helps us through our differences!” Beck exclaimed. Tori shook her head quickly. 

“No-no-no, I didn’t mean it like that-” Tori threw her hands up in exasperation. “Look, just come with me to the car.” Tori turned around and stormed out of the house, leaving the pounding music behind. The cool night air cleared her head and she immediately felt better. The fact that she was bringing Beck along with her to Jade was suddenly dawning on her that that might not be such a good idea. As they got closer to the car, Tori saw the dark figure of Jade leaning against the car door. She had a cigarette in her hand and was taking long drags from it. Tori mentally cringed at the sight, knowing that Jade’s lungs would be taking the blunt of the toxins.

“Babe!” Beck called from behind her and Tori frowned at the pet name. It just sounded so wrong coming from Beck’s lips. Jade turned around, grounded out her cigarette and scowled so fiercely that Tori stopped walking for a second. Jade’s face was illuminated by the street lights and she looked so beautiful Tori could barely breathe. Sudden jealousy washed over her. It wasn’t fair. Why did Beck get a girl like Jade? It should be her calling Jade ‘babe!’

“Vega, why did you bring Beck?” Her voice was low and had a hint of menace underlying it. Tori swallowed, feeling butterflies explode in her body. For some bizarre reason, desire curled in her stomach and all she wanted to do was attack the raven haired beauty’s lips. 

“Uhm, I, uh-” Tori stammered unable to look away from her dark eyes. 

“We need to talk Jade,” Beck cut in. Jade sighed loudly and walked closer towards Tori and Beck, stepping further into the street lamps. 

“What is there to talk about?” Jade’s voice sounded resigned. Like she didn’t care anymore. Tori resisted the urge to wrap her arms around the girl. 

“The fact that maybe, we argue all the time, I haven’t kissed you in weeks and you are avoiding me!” Beck’s voice broke and Tori felt her heart break. 

“I’m not happy with our relationship,” Jade said bluntly. Beck made strange noises in the back of his throat as his brain registered this. Tori’s own brain was struggling to register this. Granted, Jade and Beck have broken up many times and gotten back together, but this time… this time it seemed… final. 

“You’re… what?” Beck whispered. 

“I’m just… done,” Jade said flatly. Tori sighed silently, feeling like she was intruding. She hated herself because despite the horrible thing that was occurring Tori felt a slight satisfaction deep in her bones. Jade was breaking up with Beck. Jade would be single. 

“But- why!?” Beck moaned out putting his face in his hands. Tori was worried that he would start crying. 

“I can’t do it anymore. The arguing… it’s just too tiring,” Tori had never seen Jade this calm before. Her face was slack, almost as if she was bored, but Tori knew better. Under that façade Tori could see the emotion whirling in the girls’ eyes. Jade was unbelievably upset. “Come on Vega, we’re leaving.” Tori’s legs whirred into action and she got into the car, Jade behind her. Jade started the car and they left, leaving a very upset Beck in their wake. 

“What-”

“I don’t want to talk about!” Jade snapped and Tori sighed, sinking into her seat. Overhead the stars and the moon were twinkling. Glancing sideways at Jade, Tori saw tears flowing silently from the girls’ eyes and Tori felt like someone was stabbing her in the heart with a knife. 

“Jade, pull over,” Tori whispered. Jade shook her head but slowed the car down, pulling over onto the road. There were hardly any cars and the crickets were chirping, making their own music. Tori leaned over and wrapped her arms tightly around Jade, not giving the girl any choice. Jade didn’t fight; instead she rested her head on Tori’s shoulder and cried so violently that Tori felt tears come to her own eyes. Jade was in so much pain. So much more than she let on and nobody knew. Nobody except Tori. 

“Jade, oh Jade,” Tori muttered into Jade’s beautiful hair. 

“I-I’m sorry,” Jade gurgled as she tried to sit up. Her makeup was running and her eyes were red but she still looked absolutely gorgeous to Tori. “I just, I don’t like Beck like that anymore! I feel so awful because for so long he’s been my everything. My best friend, my boyfriend, my shoulder to lean on… everything and now all those feelings are just… gone.” Tori sighed.

“I understand Jade, I really do. It happens. Feelings come and go. It’s just life telling you that maybe, Beck isn’t the one, you know?” Tori said feeling useless. Jade nodded and exhaled, finally settling down. 

“I can’t believe this. Why is it that you’re always the one there for me when I’m like this?” Jade seemed exasperated at this fact and Tori shrugged. 

“I’ll always be here for you Jade. No matter what. I promise.”

“You shouldn’t make promises you can’t keep,” Jade muttered. 

“What makes you say I won’t keep this one?” Tori challenged. 

“Because you don’t know me,” Jade responded. 

“Yes I do.”

“No, you really don’t. There are things nobody knows about me. Things that would have you running, screaming for the hills,” Jade said bitterly, starting the car up again. 

“I doubt that,” Tori whispered. If Jade heard, she didn’t acknowledge it and they drove in silence back to Tori’s house. Jade parked outside the suburban house and turned the car off, leaving them in even thicker silence. 

“Well, here you go,” Jade said flatly. 

“Do you want to come in?” Tori asked hopefully. Jade shook her head. “Please? It’s my birthday.” Jade sighed, hesitated but agreed half-heartedly. 

“Fine, but not for too long. I have… stuff to do.” Tori nodded eagerly, leading Jade into the house and up to her room. All the lights were off in the house which meant Trina wasn’t home. Knowing the girl, Trina was probably at Tori’s birthday party trying to get with every guy who would talk to her. In Tori’s bedroom, Jade flopped onto her bed and covered her eyes with her hands. 

“I can’t believe I just broke up with Beck!” Jade moaned. 

“I’ll make you some tea,” Tori offered. 

“Tea? Really? Do I look like an old English lady?” Jade scoffed. 

“Tea isn’t for old English women!” Tori exclaimed indignantly. “I’ll make you some and you’re going to drink it whether you like it or not.” Tori didn’t wait for an answer and she trekked downstairs and into the kitchen, starting the kettle. Waiting for the water to boil, Tori had some time to think.  
The fact that Jade and Beck breaking up gave Tori pleasure made her feel disgusted. She should be upset and distraught over the separation, not happy! But part of her was telling her that this was her chance. This was her chance to show Jade how much she meant to her, that despite all the fights and disagreements Jade was the greatest thing that had ever happened to Tori. Jade deserved to know that someone loved her. 

The sound of the kettle finishing boiling the water brought her back to reality and Tori made the tea hastily, adding two spoons full of sugar. She hurried back upstairs, trying not to spill the tea and went into her room. To her surprise, she saw Jade looking through her song book; the book where she wrote all her creations. 

“Find anything you’re looking for?” Tori announced. Jade shrieked and dropped the book, clutching her chest. 

“Jesus Vega, you scared the chiz out of me!” Tori chuckled and set the two cups down on her drawers. 

“That was the point.” Jade picked the book up and walked over to Tori’s bed, sitting down and grabbing her tea. She took a sip and sighed contentedly. 

“See? Tea isn’t for old English women,” Tori teased, taking a sip of her own cup. Jade rolled her eyes and opened Tori’s song book. 

“I’m impressed Vega. Some of these songs are really good.” 

“Some?!” Tori pretended to be insulted. Jade laughed and pointed to the latest song Tori had written. 

“What’s this one about?” Tori immediately blushed and hid her face behind her hair. Of course Jade would pick out the one that was about her! “Sing it for me,” Jade said. Tori bit  
her lip and looked at Jade. She was staring intently at her and Tori felt her will weaken. 

“Okay.” And Tori opened her mouth and started to sing. She sang about her feelings, her dilemmas and her desires but not once naming Jade in the song. Tori got lost in the words and when the song ended, she realized she was crying. She took a heaving breath and looked at Jade. Jade’s eyes were watery. 

“That was beautiful Vega,” she said. 

“Y-you really think so?” Tori asked smiling slightly. The fact that she had just sang Jade her feelings made her feel like a large weight had been lifted off her shoulders and she felt a lot lighter. 

“Who was that song about?” Tori shook her head. 

“It’s a secret,” she whispered. Jade caught Tori’s eyes and Tori knew then, that Jade wasn’t stupid. Jade knew exactly who the song was about. 

“Tori,” Jade said hoarsely. Tori looked away and laid on her bed, facing away from the raven haired beauty. Her heart was beating a million miles an hour and she had a sense of dread, as if everything was about to be ruined. “Tori,” Jade repeated. 

“Just… don’t,” Tori muttered staring at the wall opposite her. 

“The song was about me,” Jade said bluntly. Tori’s eyes closed but she made no sound of denial. 

“Yes,” she whispered.


	9. Chapter Nine

“I-I’ve got to go,” Jade stammered. She stood up from the bed quickly and without looking back, left Tori’s room like it was on fire. Tori sat there, staring at the now shut door, feeling her heart break. Oh, she’s really gone and done it now. Jade is never going to want to talk to her again! Tori felt hot tears prickling at her eyes and gently flow down her face. She curled up into a ball on her bed and cried harder than she’d ever done before. For the first time in years, Tori cried herself to sleep.

*

“What the hell happened last night?” Andre exclaimed as soon as Tori set foot into Hollywood Arts. “One moment everyone was having a good time at your birthday party and the next thing I know, Beck is crying- crying because Jade broke up with him... but for real this time,” Tori just sighed absentmindedly and Andre narrowed his eyes in annoyance. “And what is wrong with you girl? You look awful!”

“Why thank you Andre, for making me feel so much better,” Tori said sarcastically, moving to her locker.

“I’m just worried about you,” Andre said standing behind Tori.

“I know Andre, I know,” Tori got her books out of her locker. “Come to my house after school? I’ll explain everything.”

“Alright, I’ll be there,” the bell rang for class. “I’ll see you with Sikowitz.” Andre left and Tori walked to her English class very reluctantly.

“Tori! Tori wait!” Tori groaned internally and spun around to see a certain redheaded girl running towards her.

“Cat, I’m going to be late for class,” Tori sighed.

“I just want to know what’s wrong with Jade. She’s really upset,” Cat said breathlessly.

“I’ll tell you later, okay?” Tori said.

“But-”

“I said later, Cat!” Tori exclaimed and turned away from the flustered girl, walking fast to her class. Thankfully the day went by without any more incidents... until lunch that is.

Tori went to the cafeteria and sat down at the usual table, unfortunately Jade was there sitting next to Cat. Tori looked around for Beck and spotted the boy with Andre walking towards the table. It must be taco day as they were holding giant tacos that were spilling from the side. Tori sat in silence as Jade and Cat chattered about whatever they were talking about. Jade didn’t look at Tori once, which ripped the brunette's heart out.

“Hey girls,” Andre announced sitting next to Cat. Beck sat next to Tori and gave her a small smile. It was obvious he was still upset. That made the both of them. There was a palpable tension in the air and Tori had an overwhelming urge to run away as fast as she could. This was perfectly horrid. Andre cleared his throat and bit into his taco, chewing obnoxiously loud. Cat giggled and Jade glared at him.

“Where’s Robbie?” Beck asked.

“I don’t know, I haven’t seen him all day,” Cat said looking worried.

“Probably working on the drama assignment,” Andre commented. Tori’s eyes suddenly widened in shock. She automatically looked at Jade who had a similar expression on her face.

“Oh, shit!” she exclaimed suddenly.

“Oh my god!” Tori shrieked at the same time. She had completely forgotten about the huge assignment that was due in just over a week’s time.

“What’s wrong?” Beck asked.

“The assignment!” Tori’s voice had gotten ridiculously high.

“Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten about it?” Andre scolded. Tori looked at Jade in a panic and Jade refused to meet her eyes. They were so screwed. Especially now. Especially after what happened last night.

“Don’t worry, it’s under control,” Jade muttered. Tori bit her lip and fell silent, wondering how things could get much worse.

“I’m going to go to the Grub Truck,” Tori announced suddenly, eager to get away from the group. “Anybody want anything?” Everybody shook their heads and she got up and walked over to the food truck where a man named Festus worked. He was a Yerbanian-American man who Tori still owed for when her and Jade had accidentally destroyed his car. 

“Hey Festus, can I get a taco please?” Tori asked.

“Only if you promise not to vandalize my car again,” he replied jokingly.

“You know I still feel bad about that,” Tori groaned.

“I’m only kidding Tori, one taco coming up,” as he was preparing the food, he seemed to have an idea and turned to Tori with a questioning look on his face. “You look like you could use a vacation.”

“I do?” Tori asked confusedly.

“Yes, how would you like to visit my home country, Yerba? If you perform there every night for seven nights, your vacation will be free,” he explained as he poured fillings into the taco.

“Are you serious? That sounds awesome!” Tori exclaimed. “Can the others come?”

“I don’t see why not. My brother lives there and he’ll be able to provide hotel bookings,” Festus passed Tori the now finished taco. “I’ll give him a call and I’ll give you the details tomorrow.”

“Thanks Festus! This is great!” Tori said excitedly. She passed over the money for the taco and walked back to the table.

“Hey guys, you’re never going to believe this,” she began. The others looked at her expectedly. “Festus just offered us a seven day vacation for free in Yerba!”

“Where the heck is Yerba?” Jade scowled.

“I don’t know, but it’s a free vacation!” Tori emphasized.

“How come it’s free?” Beck asked.

“Well, the condition is, is that we perform every night but it includes free booking and the like,” Tori explained, sitting back down and biting into her taco.

“I’m in,” Andre said.

“Me too! It’s like an adventure!” Cat squealed.

“Okay, sounds cool. I’ll text Robbie after school,” Beck chipped in. Everybody looked at Jade who didn’t seem very impressed.

“Well? Are you in?” Andre asked. Jade’s eyes flickered to Tori’s and for a second Tori forgot how to breathe. Her throat dried up and her heart pounded in her ears. It looked like Jade wanted to say something but she changed her mind and looked away.

“Yeah, alright, but only because I want to,” she grumbled. Cat squealed again and hugged Jade tight. The move made Tori grit her teeth and clench her hands shut. Jealousy raged inside of her and she resisted the urge to hurt the redheaded girl.

“Are you alright, Tori?” Andre leaned over and whispered while everyone started talking about the trip.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Tori said still gritting her teeth. Andre just shook his head. Suddenly Sikowitz strolled up to the table, whistling loudly and holding a coconut in his hand.

“Hey Sikowitz!” Jade called.

“Why hello children,” he announced.

“Want to go to Yerba with us?” Tori asked.

“Yerba? I think I’ve been there before.”

“You think?” Jade asked.

“Well I don’t exactly remember…” he trailed off and took a sip from his coconut. Everybody looked at each other with raised eyebrows but nothing was said. “Of course I’d love to accompany you. But don’t think this means you get an extension on your assignment!”

“Aw, come on Sikowitz, that’s not fair,” Jade said.

“Life isn’t fair children,” he replied slurping at the straw. “Now, I better be off before the hallucinations kick in.” He walked away and everybody at the table shook their heads.

“I swear he gets stranger every day,” Beck commented.

“Yep,” everyone nodded and agreed. The bell went for class and Tori got up quickly.

“I’ll meet you at your locker, Tori, for this afternoon,” Andre said before she could leave.

“Okay, you’re driving though,” Tori replied.

“What’s happening this afternoon?” Jade asked suddenly. Tori looked at the raven-haired beauty and bit her lip.

“We’re just going to hang out,” Andre replied frowning slightly.

“I’m coming,” she announced. Tori rose her eyebrows in disbelief.

“I don’t think so,” Tori said quickly. Jade glared at her.

“Why not?” The idea of having Jade around her house again filled Tori with absolute dread.

“Because… because…” Tori tried to find an excuse but failed.

“Because, because what?” Jade mocked.

“Because I don’t want you to!” Tori almost yelled. Andre and Beck were watching the scene with worry while Cat had her fingers in her ears. The girl hated conflict.

“Tori, we need to talk,” Jade said softly.

“No, we don’t,” Tori replied and before anything else could be said, the brunette picked up her bag and hurriedly left the cafeteria and to her final class for the day.

*

The bell rang for the end of the school day and Tori walked to her locker. At first she thought Jade was waiting for her but to her relief it was only Andre. She was looking forward to talking to him what was going on. She was eager for to get everything off her chest.

“Ready to go?” Andre asked. Tori nodded and they went to his car (it was actually his grandma’s car but, well, she was unfit to drive). The drive to Tori’s house was silent and when they finally arrived, it was with relief that Tori slammed down her bag and flopped onto the couch.

“You look exhausted,” Andre commented sitting down beside her.

“That’s because I am Andre,” Tori moaned covering her face with her hands.

“Would you care to tell me what’s going on now?” Tori sat up and sighed.

“It’s a long story and I plead you to keep an open mind.”

“Don’t I ever?” Andre smiled.

“Which is why you’re my best friend,” Tori smiled back. “Okay, so the minute we got Sikowitz’s assignment was the minute everything started to change. When I was working with Jade, she was a completely different person. She was sweet, kind, caring… I-I started to develop… feelings for her,” Tori rushed out. She glanced at Andre’s face who was very passive.

“Tori, you’re always going to be my friend, no matter what. And besides, I can’t judge. Remember that time I thought I loved her?” Tori cast her mind back to that horrid week. “Maybe you just need to write a song about it.” Tori smiled knowing that that was the same advice she’d given him.

“I already have Andre and the feelings haven’t gone away. But I’m not finished yet. Last night, when Jade broke up with Beck, I kind of told her how I felt about her.” Andre took a sharp breath.

“I’m guessing that didn’t end well.”

“No, she left without us being able to talk about it and now I don’t know what to do,” Tori groaned again and slammed her face into the couch pillow.

“Well, she clearly wants to talk to you about it now. I say you do it. Talk to her calmly and rationally and see what she says. I mean, what’s the worst that can happen?” Andre reasoned.

“She’ll hate me forever,” Tori muttered into the pillow.

“Then she would have lost a great friend,” Andre said softly. Tori looked up from the pillow and smiled.

“Thank you Andre, you have no idea how much that means to me. I feel a lot better already.”

“That’s what I’m here for girl!” Andre grinned. “Maybe you can talk to her while we’re at… Yerba is it?”

“Yeah, Yerba. I really hope we go, it sounds like a great opportunity,” Tori replied.

“I agree. I also think it will do you a world of good to have a vacation,” Andre said.

“You have no idea,” Tori muttered.

“Tori! Is that Beck you have down there-” Trina came bounding down the stairs but when she saw Andre her face fell. “Oh, it’s just you.”

“Nice to see you too Trina,” Andre said sarcastically.

“Why can’t you ever bring Beck over?” Trina asked Tori.

“Maybe because you creep him out all the time?” she replied.

“I do not! He loves me, he just doesn’t know it yet!” Trina exclaimed and raced back up to her room. Tori turned back to Andre.

“I don’t even think she went to school today,” she said.

“Really? When do you think your parents will be back?” Andre asked.

“I have no idea,” Tori sighed. “I haven’t even heard from them.” Tori’s mind cast to her parents and she felt disappointment and slight anger at the thought of them. They hadn’t even called to tell her a happy birthday yesterday. She felt like they didn’t care about her at all.

Suddenly, Tori’s phone rang loudly, All Time Low playing as the ringtone. Tori answered it and was greeted by a strange and foreign voice screeching in the background.

“Hello? Hello? Is this Tori Vega?”

“Umm, yes, this is Tori Vega,” Tori frowned at Andre who frowned back.

“This is Sgrodis, Festus’s brother!”

“Oh! Hello!” Tori exclaimed.

“I’m just calling to tell you that I heard you were considering on taking a vacation at my hotel and performing here!”

“Yes, your brother made a very good deal,” Tori chuckled.

“Yes, yes, good, good, the flight has already been booked.”

“Wait, what?” Tori asked but had no time to say anything else.

“Yes, your flight to Yerba is tomorrow!”

“Tomorrow?!” Tori exclaimed.

“I will see you then, bye, bye!” Sgrodis hung up leaving a speechless Tori.

“What was that?” Andre asked.

“We’re going to Yerba… tomorrow!”


	10. Chapter Ten

“One, two, three…”

“Sikowtiz!” Tori shouted. The man jumped. “You’ve counted us over three times now!” The group was gathered at the airport, ready to board their plane to Yerba. It was 6 in the morning and everyone was grumbling and walking around like the zombie plague had just become a problem. 

“Why did I decide to come to this again?” Jade groaned as they lined up to security. 

“You didn’t bring your scissors did you?” Andre asked eyeing the metal detector worriedly. 

“Do you think I’m stupid?” Jade growled. Andre put his hands up in surrender. 

“Someone’s in a bad mood,” he muttered to Cat who just giggled and twirled her hair around her finger. Tori was at the back of the line and she cast her mind to last night after the phone call from Festus’s brother. She almost laughed at how panicked she was and the complete blur after; packing luggage and calling up her friends.

“There better be hot chicks at this place,” the annoying voice of Rex brought her out of her reverie and she looked up just in time to see Jade grab Rex off of Robbie’s hand and throw him somewhere into the airport. Robbie shrieked. 

“Rex!” he jumped over the rope barrier and ran faster than Tori had ever seen him move to retrieve his puppet. 

“Why did you do that?” Tori asked Jade who glared at her. 

“Because he was annoying, that’s why.” Tori sighed and rolled her eyes. 

“Now, now children,” Sikowitz scolded, stroking his beard. Robbie managed to get Rex back and tried to cut the queue much to the annoyance of other people in the line. They passed through security successfully and boarded the plane. Tori was looking at the seat number on her ticket and when she finally found it she mentally groaned. Jade was sitting in the window seat. The minute their eyes met Tori’s heart beat wildly and her stomach turned to knots. There was no way she was sitting next to Jade for ten hours straight. 

“Vega-” Jade began but Tori just dropped her carry-on bag and rushed over to where Andre was sitting two rows back. 

“What’s wrong?” he asked seeing the terrified look on the brunette’s face. 

“I have to sit next to Jade for the next ten hours.”

“Crap,” Andre said. “Do you want to swap seats?” Tori bit her lip and glanced over at Jade who had put her earphones in. She looked vaguely sad. 

“No,” Tori decided. “I’ve got to get over this.” Andre smiled. 

“There’s the Tori I know.” 

“Please be seated,” the voice of the pilot came over the speakers. “We will be taking off in five minutes.” Tori turned to Andre and was about to say something when Cat came bounding out of the toilets and sat herself down next to Andre. Tori smirked. 

“Hey little red,” Andre said. He didn’t sound at all happy to be sitting next to the hyper girl for ten hours. 

“Have fun you two!” Tori said laughing to herself and made her way back to Jade. The fact that Andre had to sit next to Cat made her feel slightly better knowing that she wouldn’t be the only one suffering. Cat is a lovely girl, but to sit next to her for ten hours? No thank you. When Tori approached the seats, Jade didn’t even acknowledge her presence, just looked out the small window with both earphones in her ears. Tori was both relieved and offended by the action but she took a seat down gingerly and faced forward, letting out a long breath. 

The plane started its run down the runway and before she knew it, they were in the air and on their way to Yerba. When the ‘no seatbelt’ sign came on, she took the chance to glance at Jade. She was still staring out of the window but her hand was tapping against her leg, almost like a nervous twitch. Tori wandered if she was afraid of flying.   
It was hot in the airplane so Tori turned the air conditioner on above her head. She then noticed that Jade was wearing long sleeves and jeans where as everyone else was in shorts and t-shirts. She found this weird but casting her mind back, she realized Jade has always been like that. Tori couldn’t remember ever seeing Jade in anything that revealed her arms. 

“Are you finished staring?” Jade’s voice made Tori jump and her eyes widened as she found herself shaking her head profusely. 

“I-I wasn’t staring!” Tori said almost desperately. That stupid, attractive, heart attack inducing smirk appeared on the Goth’s face and Tori wanted to cry. She was so unbelievably head over heels for this girl and she’d ruined it all. 

“Sure you weren’t,” Jade turned back to the window and tears actually brimmed in Tori’s eyes. She wiped them angrily and told herself to get a grip. It wasn’t like her to get this love sick over someone. Be it boy or girl.

*

Four hours into the flight and Tori’s suspicions about Jade being afraid of flying came true. The plane had hit a particularly bad spot of turbulence and Jade had clutched the arm rest tightly, her eyes closed. She’s been in the same spot for the past half an hour. 

“Jade, are you alright?” Tori asked timidly. 

“Does it look like I’m fucking alright?” she hissed as the plane jumped again. Tori could hear Jade’s teeth grinding together. 

“I didn’t know you were afraid of flying.” Jade opened her eyes just to glare at the brunette. 

“God! Have they got a monkey flying this thing?” the raven haired beauty growled. Tori had to hold back a grin. She wouldn’t say this out loud, but seeing Jade like this amused her. 

“Maybe, do you want me to check?” Tori said innocently. She made to get up but Jade surprised her by grabbing her arm. 

“Don’t you dare leave me alone,” she hissed. Jade’s nails dug into Tori’s skin and she sat back down, slightly bewildered. 

“Jade, your nails,” Tori pointed. 

“You’re going to have to deal with it,” Jade groaned as the plane jumped again. Tori bit her lip as she watched the beautiful girl beside her scrunch her face up in fear. It was starting to affect Tori now, knowing that the girl she liked was uncomfortable. Tori just wanted to comfort her. She put her hand on top of Jade’s which caused Jade to stiffen but as soon as the plane jumped, she grabbed Tori’s hand tightly. Tori looked down and saw that they were holding hands and her cheeks were suddenly on fire and her palms grew sweaty. She hoped Jade wouldn’t notice. 

“Here,” Tori reached into her bag and pulled out her Pear Pod. Jade’s had run out of batteries. “This should help.” Jade put the ear buds in her ears and swiped through Tori’s music. Tori watched Jade’s face and was slightly self-conscious when she saw the girl sigh and shake her head.

“What-”

“You have good taste in music,” was all Jade said. Tori narrowed her eyes in confusion; why would that cause a negative reaction? Jade looked… sad again. It was killing Tori. The urge to cry hadn’t gone away and it was threatening to become a problem.

“Do you hate me now?” Tori suddenly blurted. Jade looked up, frowning. She opened her mouth to say something but thought the better of it. 

“Not any more than I’ve always done,” she answered, smiling slightly. Tori smiled and shook her head. 

“Liar,” she muttered. 

“Hmm?” Jade asked absentmindedly. 

“You’re a liar,” Tori said louder. Jade looked at her intently and Tori couldn’t figure out the expression on her face. 

“How?” 

“We were friends before I… before I stuffed it up,” Tori said refusing to look at Jade now. Tori heard the girl sigh quietly but Tori’s already fragile heart broke further when the raven haired beauty didn’t respond. Tori didn’t know what she was expecting, maybe a reassurance or something along those lines, but she got nothing. That hurt her more than anything else. “I-I’m going to go to the bathroom.” Tori got up and went to the tiny toilets, this time unable to hold back her tears. 

*

Jade watched Tori leave, wanting to call her back but coming up short. Seeing the brunette’s retreating back stung and anger rose inside her. 

“Damn it!” she cursed, causing stares from people in other rows. “Mind your own goddamn business!” The turbulence of the plane wasn’t bothering her anymore. She had more things to worry about. Because right now, the idea of the plane going down and killing her didn’t seem like such a bad thing. It’s been three days after the breakup and Jade felt completely empty. She wanted to reach out to Tori but it wasn’t in her nature. She didn’t know how to. To be honest, she didn’t know how to reconcile things after Tori’s… revelation. 

Jade scrolled down Tori’s music and came across a familiar title. It seemed that Tori had recorded herself singing… that song. Jade’s song. Jade put the earphones in and pressed play, her ears suddenly filled with Tori’s sweet voice, singing about herself no less. An unfamiliar bubble of emotion rose in Jade’s chest and she wanted nothing more than to destroy the Pear Pod in her hands, but she couldn’t bring herself to move. 

What the hell am I supposed to do? 

*  
Tori came out of the toilets having cried herself out and fixing herself up but there was no way she was going to sit back down with Jade. She found Andre and Cat. Andre looked relieved to see her and Cat squealed at Tori. 

“Tori, Tori! The plane food is so weird it-”

“Hey Tori, how’s it going?” Andre interrupted looking at her with concern. Tori crouched down next to his chair and sighed. 

“She’s killing me,” Tori announced. 

“Who? Who?” Cat bounced up and down. 

“Cat, I’m going to go sit with Jade for a bit okay?” Cat pouted. 

“Okay can you tell Jade about the plane food-”

“Sit here and try to get your mind off everything, okay?” Andre said. Tori reluctantly agreed and they swapped places, Tori next to a redheaded girl who seems like she’s constantly had too much caffeine, and Andre next to Jade West, the girl who, at the moment, was breaking Tori’s heart. When Andre left, Tori sighed into her seat and closed her eyes, hoping for some peace. 

“How come Andre is sitting next to Jade now?” Cat asked, poking Tori in the shoulder. 

“Because Jade doesn’t like me remember?” Tori responded, rubbing her temple. 

“That’s not true,” Cat frowned and Tori looked at Cat in surprise. “She does like you, she just doesn’t know how to show it.” 

“How do you know-”

“Tori!” Tori looked at Robbie who was approaching her row. 

What now? 

“Swap places with me!” Tori sighed but got up, letting Robbie and Rex sit next to Cat where they started chattering immediately, as if Tori wasn’t even there. Wow, thank you, Tori thought to herself but hauled down the aisle to where Beck was sitting. 

“Hey,” Tori said. 

“Hi,” Beck responded. He was looking out of the window. Tori sighed once again and glanced over to where Andre and Jade were sitting. Jade, like Beck, was staring out of the window. She had Tori’s Pear Pod on her hand. Tori had never seen her look so depressed. Andre caught Tori’s eye and shrugged. 

This was going to be a long flight.


	11. Chapter Eleven

“Tori, Tori, Tori! The taxies are pulled by horsies!” Cat squealed. Tori looked around in dismay. Apparently in Yerba there was no such things as cars. The group had successfully retrieved their luggage and now they were looking for Sgrodis who was supposed to be driving (well not exactly) them to the hotel. 

“Is that him?” Beck pointed to a man who was holding up a sign that said ‘TOREE VAGI’ 

“Seriously?” Tori asked. “Is that supposed to say Tori Vega?” Andre started laughing but stopped when she gave him a glare that put Jade’s to shame. They walked over to a man that resembled Festus but didn’t dress as stylishly and introduced themselves. 

“Sgrodis?” 

“Ya, ya, that is me!” the man exclaimed. Tori smiled uneasily at him. 

“I’m Tori, this is Beck, Jade, Cat, Andre, Robbie and Rex and our teacher Sikowitz,” Tori introduced everyone and they all shook hands. 

“Are we really riding to the hotel in that?” Jade asked pointing to the horse drawn carriage behind them. 

“Yes, only the best for the Americans!” Sgrodis said enthusiastically. Sikowitz seemed to be the only person looking forward to the prospect and when they all squeezed into the tiny space, all eyes were glaring at Tori. 

“So, this is fun!” she tried but as soon as she spoke everybody started talking at once, grumbling and complaining. 

“Oh come on guys! It’s an adventure!” Cat exclaimed. “Besides, I think the horsey likes me.” 

“I can’t believe this,” Jade said throwing daggers at Tori. “You didn’t mention that Yerba still lives in the Dark Ages.” 

“I didn’t know!” Tori tried to reason with everybody but it wasn’t working. Suddenly the carriage drew to a stop. 

“We are here!” Sgrodis announced. 

“And where exactly is here?” Beck asked quietly. 

“Up there!” Sgrodis pointed to a massive hill where a building could be seen. It was too hard to see details but it was clear that was the hotel. 

“We have to walk up there!?” Rex exclaimed. 

“Rex, you don’t have legs,” Robbie reminded him. 

“Are we supposed to heave our luggage up there?” Andre asked. 

“I can’t believe this-”

“This is Tori’s fault-”

“I haven’t been working out-”

“Those coconut trees look nice-”

“No! Bad horsey! Don’t bite my hair!” 

“Cat get away from the horse-”

“Guys!” Tori shouted. Everybody quieted down and looked at her. “Let’s just do this okay?” Tori grabbed her suitcase and started to trudge up the trail. They followed suit and ten minutes later (it was almost fifteen because Robbie couldn’t hold his suitcase with Rex on his hand) they approached the hotel. Well, the word ‘hotel’ was a stretch. To put it nicely, it was a dump. 

“Oh my God,” Tori breathed. 

“This is our hotel?!” Andre exclaimed putting down his luggage. 

“Gross,” Jade hissed. Tori couldn’t help but feel like crying again. This was a disaster!

“Now I’m kind of glad I don’t remember this place,” Sikowitz muttered. They dragged their luggage inside which wasn’t any better. It was crawling with insects, the wallpapers were peeling and the furniture were all moth eaten. Sgrodis joined them inside and Tori went to check them in. 

“So, this is a five star hotel?” Tori asked casually. 

“Oh yes! The best in Yerba!” he replied excitedly. “I am so happy to have my little brother’s friends visiting.” 

“Yeah, so are we,” Tori said flatly. Sgrodis gave her the keys to their rooms and he disappeared into a room behind the counter. Tori looked at the supposed ‘keys’ and deadpanned. These were screwdrivers!

“Okay, this isn’t my fault,” she said going back to the others, still looking at the tools Sgrodis had given her in confusion.

“It kind of is,” Jade said. Tori glared at her. 

“How was I supposed to know it was going to be-” Suddenly the hotel entrance burst open and men in military uniforms came bursting in, blowing whistles. Cat and Andre started running around as if their heads had been cut off and Tori and Jade shared dismayed looks. The soldiers looked like they were coming towards Tori and she panicked and threw herself behind one of the worn couches. Instead, the soldiers approached one of the people in the lobby, grabbed him by the arms and dragged him out screaming. 

What have I gotten us into?

“Why do you have screwdrivers in your hand?” Jade asked, glancing at them confusedly. 

“I think… I think they’re meant to be our keys to the rooms,” Tori frowned. 

“How the hell are screwdrivers-?”

“Hey guys, Andre just got bitten by a giant moth,” Cat interrupted sheepishly. 

“What?” Tori screeched. “The insects in Yerba are extremely poisonous!” They looked over to where Andre was groaning on the floor, holding his neck. 

“Sgrodis!” Tori screamed and the man came rushing out of the back holding a toilet plunger. Everybody looked at him. 

“Where’s the fire?” he yelled. 

“My friend has been bitten by a moth,” Tori pointed to the poor boy. Sgrodis went over to Andre and observed the bite. 

“Vampire Moth,” he said cheerfully. 

“A-a what?” Tori asked faintly. 

“Your friend was bitten by a Vampire Moth.”

“Is it fatal?” Andre groaned. 

“If you mean horrific hallucinations, swelling and possible death then yes,” Sgrodis said as if he was talking about the weather and not a possible dead body on his hands. 

“We need a doctor!” Tori shrieked. Sgrodis sighed dramatically. 

“Very well. I’ll call the best doctor I know.” The man went to the counter and used the phone. Whoever was on the other end could only speak Yerbanian so Tori couldn’t understand a word they were saying. 

“Well this is fun so far,” Beck said. Tori groaned. 

“You guys stay down here, I’ll take the luggage to the rooms,” she said. Anything to get away from the glaring and the groaning. 

“I’ll help you,” Jade said quickly. Tori wanted to protest but knew she would need the extra help so she left it. Together the two girls heaved the luggage up to their rooms. It took   
longer than expected as the hotel didn’t have an elevator and they had to lug the bags up four flights of stairs. 

“This vacation sucks shit,” Jade said when they got to their rooms. Unfortunately there were only two rooms between them all and Sikowitz had one to himself. That meant the rest of them had to share. 

“Whatever, Jade,” Tori muttered. “Can’t you see I feel bad enough already?” Jade’s face softened. 

“Give me those… screwdrivers.” Jade took the tools and examined the lock on the door. 

“This is so stupid,” Tori said watching as Jade stuck a screwdriver in the hole and turned. 

“But it worked,” Jade smirked and pushed open the door to the room. They dragged the luggage in and groaned. 

“One bed? Seriously?” Jade exclaimed. “I think I’d rather sleep outside where the poisonous bugs can get me.” Tori was on the verge of agreeing with her. Could this nightmare get any worse? The two girls were about to leave when Jade realized they had a problem. 

“The door’s stuck.” 

“What?” Tori tried opening the stupid thing but it wouldn’t budge. She examined the handle and saw that there was no way to open it from this side. 

“What the hell!” Jade growled. 

“How can you not open it from inside the room? What do they expect us to do? Keep it open all night? Who knows what weirdo’s live in this hotel?!” Tori exploded. No matter how hard they pulled and pushed, the door would not move. 

“Must be bomb proof,” Jade joked and sat down on the bed. As soon as she did, a thousand moths flew from the mattress and the two girls screamed as they were bombarded by the winged creatures. Jade went to the only window in the room and opened it, waving her arms about. Eventually they dispersed and the girls shuddered in disgust. 

“Are you okay?” Jade immediately asked. Tori felt her heart jump at the fact that Jade cared. 

“Yeah, I’m fine, you?” Jade nodded. 

“This is the worst hotel in the history of hotels,” she observed. 

“The worst,” Tori agreed. “What do we do now?” Jade shrugged and went over to the window. 

“Thank God!” she exclaimed. “We can get out of here!” Tori joined Jade and saw that the girl was right. It was a bit of a drop, but there was a lawn of some kind right below them. The grass looked soft enough. 

“I’ll go first,” Jade said and swung her legs over the side. She took a deep breath and then dropped like a stone, landing heavily on legs and hands. After she stood up and brushed herself off, she motioned for Tori to do the same. Tori followed suit, but Jade didn’t get out of the way in time and Tori ended up landing on her. Fortunately Jade hadn’t been too slow and she managed to catch Tori before she could hit the ground. Tori was now in Jade’s arms and the first thing she noticed was how amazing Jade smelt. Jade’s heartbeat was so prominent, Tori could feel it against her chest. For a second they just looked at each other, the tension between them so thick, it made it hard to breathe. 

“Jade,” Tori whispered. The girl seemed to come out of a daze and she gently set Tori on her feet. Jade cleared her throat and a slight blush appeared on her cheeks. 

“Sorry about that,” she muttered and walked away from Tori, heading to the edge of the grassy bank. Tori closed her eyes and let the cool air calm her cheeks and heartbeat down before she joined the Goth. From here Yerba looked like a beautiful city, its lights twinkling and flashing in the night. 

“Yerba actually looks nice from here,” Tori commented. Jade didn’t answer, only pulled out a packet of cigarettes and lit one, popping it into her mouth. “Why do you smoke?” 

“Because I like it?” Jade replied as if that was the most obvious thing in the world. 

“It kills you,” Tori pointed out. 

“I don’t care,” Jade said flatly. 

“You don’t care that there’s a high chance you’re going to get lung cancer and die an early death?” 

“No,” Jade said looking straight at Tori as she did. Tori swallowed and frowned, feeling her heart constrict at Jade’s words. 

“I care,” Tori said defiantly. Jade didn’t even both to reply, only shook her head and sighed. Tori wanted to start an argument but she forced herself to take a deep breath and relax. 

Your heart has already endured enough pain today.

Instead, Tori took out her Pear Pod (Jade had given it back to her) and played How to Save a Life by the Fray. It was a favorite of hers and she closed her eyes and leaned back on her hands, just listening to it. For a moment she could pretend she wasn’t in Yerba and her and Jade hadn’t had a fight and they were still friends. She was suddenly interrupted by Jade’s hand on her arm. Tori looked at the girl who beckoned her to stand up. Tori did so and watched Jade throw the cigarette away. 

“Dance with me,” was all she said. Tori didn’t even have a chance to reply before Jade had her hand on the small of her back, pressing their bodies together. Tori swooned and wrapped her arms around Jade’s waist. 

“Why are you doing this to me?” Tori whispered in the girls’ ear. 

“It’s just a dance Vega,” Jade’s voice washed over her neck sending shivers down Tori’s spine. Jade swung their bodies in time with the music and for the second time that week,   
Tori and Jade were dancing. 

“You know what I mean.” 

“Tori,” Jade whispered. “Please, just let me have this.” Tori was unable to speak after the way Jade uttered her name so all she did was nod and buried her head in the black haired beauty’s neck. Jade’s scent was the only thing Tori could register and she wanted nothing more than to kiss Jade. Harshly and fiercely to show how she’s feeling. All her anger, hurt, and pain and whereas she loves Jade she also hates her with a passion. 

The song ended but Jade didn’t let the brunette go and they stood there in silence, in each other’s embrace. Tori knew Jade was hurting which was why she didn’t move away, knowing the girl needed this comfort. 

“Jade, about the other night, about what I said-”

“This is difficult enough for me, Vega,” Jade interrupted. Her lips were against Tori’s ear which was not helping her concentration levels. “I freaked out. I had just broken up with Beck and to be honest, I had no idea what to do. I still don’t know how to deal with this properly. All I know is that I don’t want to lose you.” Tori took a sharp breath and buried her face even further into Jade, trying to hide what the Goth’s words were doing to her. Tori could hardly believe that Jade was telling her all of this. She was afraid of getting her hopes up because she didn’t want her heart to break again. But she wanted to believe in Jade’s words. Oh my God did she want to. 

“You haven’t lost me. I’m still here aren’t I?” Tori whispered, her lips against Jade’s neck. Tori could feel Jade’s pulse against her lips and a little part of her was satisfied at how fast Tori had made her heart beat. Jade clearly swallowed at the contact and her feet shuffled slightly, her hand on Tori’s back slipped lower, just above her ass. Tori made a sound that was a cross between a squeal and a moan and Jade sighed and tilted her neck slightly, as if she wanted Tori to kiss the skin there. 

“Vega… you’re really not helping the situation here,” Jade murmured, her voice husky. The words travelled straight through Tori and down to her core, causing her legs to jelly and heat curl in her belly. She couldn’t believe the effect Jade was having on her. 

“I don’t know what you mean,” Tori muttered back her lips still against Jade’s neck. 

“Yes you do,” Jade whispered and she pulled their bodies in even closer, her hands still dangerously low on Tori’s back. Tori was begging silently for her hands to go even lower but before anything else happened they were interrupted by loud gun shots in the distance. The two girls jumped apart as if they were the ones who’d been shot and Tori clutched her chest in fright. 

“Jesus!” Jade exclaimed. “What the hell was that?” Tori could hardly talk, her heart still in her chest. 

“We should… get back to-the hotel,” she managed to get out and Jade paled. 

“Oh God, how long have we been out here?” Jade asked. Tori checked her Pear Pod and her eyes widened. 

“Two hours!” 

Neither of them said anything else as they raced back to the entrance of the hotel but Tori couldn’t help but think: What the hell just happened?


	12. Chapter Twelve

The girls rushed into the lobby and Beck greeted them with a scowl on his face. 

“Where the hell have you two been?” he demanded. “The doctor is here for Andre.” 

“That’s good isn’t it?” Tori panted, her hands on her knees. 

“Not exactly,” Beck muttered and stepped to the side so that Andre was visible. The poor boy was still moaning on the floor but standing over him was a child who looked to be about ten years old. 

“Please don’t tell me that’s the doctor,” Tori moaned. The boy stood up from Andre and came over to Tori, talking unintelligibly. 

“I don’t speak freaking Yerbanian!” Tori exclaimed and slumped into the lobby’s couch, face in her hands. She heard Jade’s worried intake of breath but was too distraught to acknowledge it. The boy doctor huffed and went back to Andre who was now screaming things about his grandmother. Sgrodis approached the group with a large grin on his face. 

“Good news! I have managed to arrange your performances for the Chancellor!” he exclaimed cheerfully. Tori felt an overwhelming urge to punch his face in. 

“The Chancellor?” Cat piped up. 

“Yes! He is very important man.” 

“How are we supposed to perform with Andre in his condition?” Jade pointed out. Sgrodis’s face turned into a frown. 

“You promised to perform! Otherwise your trip is not free!” Tori groaned. They hadn’t any money so they had to do this. 

“I could take Andre’s place,” Sikowitz offered. Jade and Tori looked at each other in horror, but what other choice did they have? 

“I want salt!” Andre suddenly exclaimed from the floor. 

“Salt?” Cat asked puzzled. 

“Ah yes, another side effect of the bite,” Sgrodis informed. “Severe cravings for salt.” 

“This is so bizarre,” Tori muttered under her breath. 

“Anyway! You guys should head to bed! You must be ready for the performance tomorrow night!” Sgrodis exclaimed, pushing Tori a little too hard causing her to sprawl on the floor. Cat started giggling while Beck helped the girl up. Tori caught Jade’s eye, her cheeks flaming. Jade looked like she was trying her hardest not to laugh which caused a glare from the brunette. Jade burst out laughing with Cat and Tori sighed, shaking her head. 

“I’m going to bed,” Tori snapped storming to the stairwell. 

“Aw come on Vega! I was only playing!” Jade said from behind Tori but the girl just stomped up the stairs, Beck, Jade, Cat and Robbie behind her. That left Sikowitz and the boy doctor to drag Andre to the room. 

*

“Okay, how are we going to do this?” Beck asked, observing the bed. 

“This is ridiculous. You boys go sleep with Sikowitz and we girls will sleep here,” Jade snapped. Tori nodded her head in agreement. 

“Yeah, bunk with Sikowitz. There’s no way we’re all going to fit in here,” Tori added. The boys grumbled but agreed. Beck helped Andre up and they walked out of the room. Robbie went to follow but Beck stopped him. 

“No man, you stay here.”

“But I’m a boy!” Robbie exclaimed.

“Do you want a bet?” Rex cackled. 

“Beck! Take Robbie!” Tori scolded. 

“Fine,” Beck groaned and dragged Robbie out of the room. When the boys were finally gone, Jade collapsed on the bed with a loud sigh. Cat yawned. 

“I’m tired,” she announced. 

“Go to sleep then,” Jade said flatly. 

“Okay!” The red head got into bed and five seconds later she was snoring so loudly, Tori could feel it in her bones. Jade got up from the bed and sat on the floor next to Tori.

“Jesus!” the brunette whispered. “I’m never going to get to sleep with heavy breather here-” she was cut off when the sounds of gun shots fired making the girls jump. “And a freaking country that’s at war with guns firing every ten seconds!” 

“This is your fault,” Jade reminded her. Tori shot daggers at her for the millionth time this night making Jade smirk. Tori could feel the fight draining out of her the longer she stared at the beautiful girl in front of her so she turned around and bent down to her bag, pulling out her pajamas. They were plain blue and very short. 

“You brought the skimpiest PJ’s to a country like Yerba?” Jade asked skeptically. 

“I didn’t realize it’d be cold here,” Tori muttered. The girl looked around for somewhere to change but then realized that she was in the smallest room in the entire world which meant no privacy. Tori’s cheeks flamed up again and her stomach tightened at the thought of Jade watching her undress. Heat pooled in ‘certain places’ and Tori cleared her throat, fidgeting slightly. Jade sighed dramatically. 

“I won’t look,” she said. “If that’s what you’re worried about.”

“Promise?” Tori whispered, her voice hoarse. Jade chuckled. 

“Well, I’ll try.” Tori whipped around to glare at the girl but was stopped in her tracks when Jade winked at her. Tori’s heart caught in her throat and she bit her lip. The look on Jade’s face was indescribable and honestly, turned the brunette on more than she’d ever been in her entire life. Jade grinned. 

“You should see your face right now. Your eyes like look dinner plates,” she laughed. Tori blushed fiercely but couldn’t turn away. “Are you going to put your PJ’s on Vega?” Tori was having problems finding any words. Jade’s grin turned wider and the girl licked her lips. Tori’s eyes caught every movement, more heat pooling in her nether regions. She was actually having to try really hard not to moan. Tori blinked several times and looked at the clothes in her hands, willing her brain to start responding. Jade got up from the floor and walked slowly over to the brunette. 

“Do you need someone to dress you Vega?” Jade teased, grabbing the clothes from Tori before she could react. 

“N-no! Of course not!” she stammered. “Give my PJ’s back!” 

“Come and get them,” Jade whispered sultrily. Tori bit her lip and watched as the girl lifted the clothes above her head, waving them. The brunette shook her head stubbornly. 

“Stop being childish Jade and just give them back!” Tori hissed reaching her hand out for them. Jade smirked. 

“You only get them if you come here.” The way she said the word ‘come’ sent shivers down Tori’s spine. The brunette growled under her breath before taking a step towards Jade. 

“There, now give them to me.” 

“Closer,” Jade grinned. Tori sighed but took two steps closer. They were standing face to face now, looking into each other’s eyes. Tori was afraid Jade would be able to hear the pounding of her heart. The desire in Tori’s stomach grew and she groaned silently. Jesus, what was Jade doing to her? Jade raised her eyebrows in challenge. Tori reached up for the clothes but Jade pulled them away. 

“Too slow!” Tori growled and reached for them again. This time Tori made contact and grabbed the PJ’s from Jade’s hands. 

“Hah!” Tori exclaimed quietly in triumph. Jade smiled at her. 

“Now are you going to get changed?” she asked. Tori nodded. 

“Close your eyes though.” Jade sighed and rolled her eyes but did what she was asked. Tori quickly yanked off her jeans and t-shirt. Jade opened her eye a crack and sneaked a peak which caused Tori to squeal and slap the girl. Jade laughed loudly. 

“Don’t be such a wuss Vega!” she said but closed her eyes again. Tori got her pajamas on and let out a breath. 

“Okay, you can look now.” Jade opened her eyes and bit her lip, looking the brunette up and down. She didn’t even try to hide her checking Tori out and a little whimper escaped   
the brunette’s mouth. Jade’s eyes widened and she smirked. 

“What was that?” she whispered. 

“Nothing!” Tori said a little too loudly. Cat murmured in her sleep behind them and the girls looked over at the red head. Thankfully she didn’t wake but Tori moved away from Jade, giving her some breathing space. 

“God, those PJ’s really are small,” Jade whispered. Tori wasn’t sure if she was supposed to have heard that or not so she didn’t reply. 

“We should get to sleep,” Tori said. Jade nodded and Tori slipped into the bed next to Cat. Tori’s stomach curled in knots as Jade got in next to the brunette. The bed was too small for three people and Jade was extremely close to Tori’s bodies. Their feet were touching and Tori squealed. 

“Jesus! Your feet are freezing!” she hissed. Jade cackled. 

“Deal with it,” she whispered. Tori bit her lip and slid under the covers trying to ignore the fact that there were moths in this bed only two hours ago and also the fact that Jade’s body was ridiculously close to hers. They were only a hair breadth apart and Tori knew there was no way she was going to get any sleep that night. It was silent for a while as Tori listened to the sounds of Cat’s even breathing and stared at the black ceiling. Her thoughts were going a million miles an hour, acutely aware of the beautiful woman lying next to her. 

“Tori?” Jade suddenly whispered. 

“Yeah?” Tori whispered back. 

“Are you okay?” Tori’s heart sped up. 

“Y-yeah, I’m fine,” Tori said. “Why do you ask?” 

“I don’t know,” Jade whispered. Tori turned to face the black haired beauty. Jade had already been facing Tori and the brunette swallowed hard. They were extremely close and seeing Jade’s eyes this close up was breath taking. Jade moved her leg slightly so that they were pressed up against Tori’s and the contact made Tori close her eyes. 

“You’re not making this any easier on me,” Tori murmured. 

“I don’t know what you mean,” Jade replied. Tori opened her eyes and saw the Goth smirking slightly. Tori shook her head and turned around so that her back was facing Jade. Jade sighed quietly. “Don’t be like that.” 

“I don’t know what you mean,” Tori mocked. Jade moved her body so that it was fully pressed up against Tori’s back and the brunette gasped loudly. 

“Jade!” Tori hissed. The black haired beauty’s breasts were against her back, their legs together. Jade’s warmth was causing Tori to shiver. Her whole body was alight with desire. She could barely breathe, she wanted Jade that badly. Jade put her face against Tori’s neck and breathed in deeply. 

“You smell nice,” she muttered. 

“Jade, what are you doing?” Tori exclaimed. 

“Smelling you. Is that a crime?” Tori could hear the grin in the girl’s voice and she shook her head. Jade’s breath against her neck was making her swoon. The feelings Tori was experiencing was indescribable. It felt incredible and as much as Tori knew it was wrong, she never wanted it to end. Jade’s lips found their way to the base of Tori’s neck and the brunette tilted her head, groaning slightly. 

“You can’t do this to me,” Tori whispered huskily. “It’s not fair.” Jade sighed and stopped what she was doing. 

“You’re right. I’m sorry.” Tori felt such disappointment she wanted to cry. That was the opposite of what she wanted to hear. She wanted Jade to tell her she felt the same way. She wanted Jade to kiss her. Tori sighed quietly and didn’t move. 

“Tori?” Tori didn’t answer. Jade sighed as well but didn’t move away from the brunette. Instead, she wrapped her arm around Tori and settled down behind her. Tori bit back the sudden tears that were threatening to appear and closed her eyes. 

Stupid Jade.


	13. Chapter Thirteen

The sound that resembled a bomb going off jerked Tori awake from a restless sleep. Her brain was foggy as she tried to remember where she was.  
Yerba.

Groaning, she opened her eyes and blinked in the sunlight. Looking down she saw a pair of arms wrapped around her torso and she froze. 

“Oh my God,” she breathed as she saw the body that was attached to those arms. Jade West. Her heart started pounding as she observed Jade’s beautiful resting face. She was so breathtaking. Without thinking, Tori leaned down to Jade’s cheek and pressed her lips, ever so lightly, against the skin there. Jade suddenly murmured in her sleep and wrapped herself even tighter around Tori. 

“Tori,” Jade moaned softly. Tori’s eyes widened. Jade was still asleep but her face was suddenly scrunched up, as if she was having a bad dream. Cat was still snoring beside the girls and Tori had the sudden urge to laugh. The kind of disbelieving laugh. The kind that, if you don’t laugh, you will end up bursting into tears. Jade suddenly shifted her head so that it was resting on Tori’s chest. This caused her heart to beat even faster and her stomach twisted in knots. Slowly, and with shaking hands, Tori gently played with Jade’s hair as the black haired beauty snuggled into Tori’s body. Tori could hardly believe what was happening. It was almost too good to be true.  
Another loud bang resonated throughout the hotel which made Tori jump which in turn caused Jade to stir and come back to the land of consciousness. The girl took one look at where she was and jumped up as if she’d been stung. Cat murmured something about Bibble (the English snack that she got addicted to) and went right back to snoring. Jade and  
Tori looked at each other for a moment, Jade’s cheeks slightly red. Tori couldn’t read the expression on the black haired beauty’s face but it was obvious she was having an eternal war with herself. 

“M-morning,” Tori said lamely. 

“Morning,” Jade replied quietly looking down and running a hand through her hair. Tori considered mentioning the fact that Jade was just cuddling her but decided not to. She didn’t want a bruised face. Suddenly the door burst open and Beck was there looking disgruntled as the familiar voice of Rex blabbered behind them. 

“Oh my God, shut him up for me would you?” Beck pleaded. Tori laughed as Jade got up and once again, ripped Rex off of Robbie’s hand and threw him down the hallway. Robbie screeched and ran to get him. 

“You’re welcome,” Jade grunted and sat back down on the bed. 

“Sgrodis wants us downstairs. Something about the performance tonight,” Beck said. “That means you too Jade.” Jade mumbled something incoherent with her face flat into a pillow. Tori smiled at Beck. 

“I’ll get her up. See you in ten.” Beck nodded and left. 

“Shut up Rex, you are so annoying!” was all that could be heard as the two boys walked down to the lobby. Tori laughed and turned to Jade who was still face first on the bed. 

“Come on Cat, time to get up!” Tori said while gently pulling on her leg. Cat stirred and opened her eyes, glancing around. 

“We’re still in Yerba! I thought it was a dream!” Cat exclaimed yawning and sitting up. 

“Unfortunately not,” Tori muttered under her breath. “Come on Jade, you heard Beck.” 

“I don’t care, it’s too early,” she sighed turning around to face Tori. Jade’s hair was tousled and her eyes were slightly red from lack of sleep and still Tori found her absolutely gorgeous. She shook herself out of the daze and went over to the curtains, yanking them open so that the sun went streaming inside. Jade groaned and hissed causing Tori to giggle. 

“Are you laughing at me, Vega?” Jade groaned covering her eyes. 

“Of course not,” Tori laughed. 

“Liar,” Jade got up and stretched, her t-shirt riding up her stomach. Tori swallowed as she stared at the skin that was suddenly exposed. Jade grinned. “Are you quite alright there Vega?” Tori blushed profusely and looked away. 

“I’m fine,” she said firmly. 

“You two are so funny,” Cat giggled. Jade frowned at the red head. 

“How are we funny?” Tori asked. 

“You love each other but you won’t admit it.” Jade and Tori froze in shock. 

“W-what?” Tori stammered. Cat didn’t respond but only giggled some more, and skipped out of the room in her pajamas. 

“What the hell was that?” Jade muttered. Tori just shook her head, trying to ignore the sudden pounding of her heart.

“Well, it was Cat,” Tori said sheepishly. Jade just shook her head and proceeded to get changed. Tori bit her lip and tried to look away, she really did, but couldn’t help but take a peek at the beautiful girl. Jade had milky white skin that drove Tori insane with need to touch her. She was wearing a black bra that contrasted with her skin nicely and Tori had to make a mental effort to stop drooling.

“Tori, please stop staring,” Jade sighed and pulled a t-shirt over her body. Tori annoyingly started to blush and she turned around, angry at herself. Once she had gotten changed as well, the two girls made their way silently down to the lobby. There was an awkward silence resonating between them and Tori wanted desperately for it to go away, but she couldn’t think of anything to say. It was as if the girl beside her had caught her tongue. And she wanted it back. 

“Salt!” Andre’s screaming voice was suddenly in earshot and the girls looked at each other in alarm. Hurrying into the lobby, they were met with a bizarre sight. Andre was clutching onto Sgrodis’s arm for dear life, a wild look in his eyes. Cat was on the floor giggling, Rex was strangling Robbie (so technically he was strangling himself) and poor Beck was standing in the middle of it all looking quite distraught. 

“Oh God,” Tori moaned. 

“I’m in a place full of LUNATICS!” Jade screamed loudly and proceeded to storm over to Robbie who was now on the floor, gasping for breath. Tori hurried over to Sgrodis and yelled over the screaming of Andre, “Give him some damn salt!”

“He won’t let go of me!” Sgrodis exclaimed, trying to yank his arm away from Andre. Tori growled in frustration and grabbed Andre, digging her nails into his skin. Andre let go of Sgrodis with a screech and glared at Tori.

“Andre, we are going to get you some salt,” Sgrodis didn’t move. “Sgrodis!” 

“Oh, right!” The man shuffled off to what Tori assumed was the kitchen of the hotel. Cat was still giggling to herself on the floor. She was also still in her pajamas. Beck came over to Tori and helped her ease Andre back into the couch. The bite on the boy’s neck was large and oozing with pus. Tori tried not to gag at the sight of it, hoping to God that he wasn’t going to die from this. It would be her fault! 

Jade suddenly came over, dragging Robbie over by his collar. Rex was chattering away with his irritating voice and Tori felt a headache coming on. 

“Robbie is quite possibly the biggest idiot I have ever met,” Jade commented, practically throwing the boy onto Tori. Tori pushed him away slightly while Robbie protested. 

“Robbie, why was Rex strangling you?” Tori asked. 

“Because I called him… a puppet.” Robbie hung his head in shame while Rex started yelling his head off again. 

“He is a fucking puppet!” Jade exclaimed. Tori glanced at the girl in concern. Jade was definitely over everybody’s shit today. Tori checked her watch. And it was only nine in the morning. Sgrodis suddenly came rushing back with a bag full of salt. Tori shook her head in disbelief as Andre snatched the bag and started scooping big handfuls of the stuff into his mouth. Robbie started gagging at the sight and Beck grimaced. 

“All right! Now that everyone has… settled,” Sgrodis eyed Andre. “It is time to, what do Americans say? Pull a leg!” 

“Huh?” Everyone looked at each other in confusion. 

“The performance for the Chancellor of course!” Sgrodis exclaimed, clapping his hands together.

*

“Once more!” Tori yelled and everyone groaned. Sgrodis had taken them to the entertainment room of the hotel where a small stage was set up in front of dozens of tables and chairs. They only had ten more minutes before the Chancellor arrived and Tori didn’t think they were up to their usual standard. That could of course, be because they were missing Andre who was still chugging down salt and moaning about Rex. 

“Vega, we’re not going to get any better than we already are,” Jade commented from her spot next to her. Tori sighed and glanced at the girl. She had done something to her hair that made it shine and Tori found herself staring. Jade looked like a goddess with the microphone headset on and her lips pursed as the girl thought about something. Tori could literally see the wheels turning in her head. Cat, Beck and Robbie were chattering on the stage behind Tori, so the girls were pretty much alone at the front. 

“I know, I just feel like I… owe something,” Tori muttered looking over the tables. Jade glanced at Tori in slight concern. She was going to say something, anything to perhaps make the brunette feel better, but she was interrupted by the room’s door opening loudly. A regal looking man in a very important uniform marched in accompanied by several body guards and Tori did a retake. She was not aware that this Chancellor was this important. The Chancellor was sat down in the front row and Tori frowned when she saw that the man was wearing an eye patch. 

“Aye, aye captain,” Jade mocked quietly. Tori giggled slightly but coughed, trying to hide it. Jade smirked. Sgrodis suddenly came stumbling up the side stairs of the stage. He was wringing his hands and his eyes were wildly excited. Tori was unexpectedly wary of the man. 

“He’s here!” he exclaimed once he had successfully stepped foot on the stage. “Everyone, places! Places!” Tori heard Jade laughing to herself behind her and her heart stopped beating when she glanced at the Goth. She was so beautiful. 

“Tori? Tori!” Tori blinked rapidly to see Jade snapping her fingers, frowning. “God, what’s wrong with you?” Tori just shook her head and pushed past Jade, taking her place at the front of the stage. Time to perform. The lights were lowered and the music started to the song All I Want is Everything. Tori took a deep breath and cleared her mind before opening her mouth to sing. 

Halfway through the song, Tori was really getting into it and the Chancellor seemed to be enjoying the performance so, being slightly over confident, Tori decided to improvise with a dance move. Unfortunately, this caused to be an awful mistake as her high heel shoe slipped off and flew across the room. As if in slow motion, Tori watched with horror as the shoe struck the Chancellor right in the good eye. The music stopped, the lights came back on and it was silent for a moment as everyone stared in shock. The sound of Cat giggling broke the tension and then there was chaos. The Chancellor started yelling and screaming about his eye, Tori looked over to Jade in absolute disbelief and two of the Chancellor’s body guards came racing up to the stage. 

“Jade!” Tori squealed as the body guards grabbed her and hauled her down. 

“Let her go!” Jade exclaimed trying to reach Tori but she was knocked back by one of the guards. “Don’t you dare touch me!” 

Tori slammed her hands on the back of the guard holding her but it didn’t seem to be affecting him at all. She was put down in front of the Chancellor who was holding his injured eye. 

“Tori!” Jade called, worry laced in her voice. Tori looked up to the stage to see all her friends being contained by guards. 

“You!” the Chancellor screamed causing Tori to turn back around in fright. “How dare you attack the Chancellor!?” 

“I didn’t mean to!” Tori began but was cut off. 

“Jail!” the man screeched. “Throw her in jail!” Tori’s stomach dropped and she was about ready to weep with fear. 

“No please, I didn’t mean to hurt you!” Tori begged. Her words did nothing as handcuffs were slapped onto her wrists. This felt like a nightmare. One moment she was happily performing and then the next she was being hauled off to Yerbanian prison! Where was Sikowitz in all of this? He should be helping her! 

“Jade!” Tori called again without thinking. The black haired beauty was the only thing on her mind and she needed her. Tears were welling up in her eyes as she was hauled off and out of the room, fear was causing her to shake and she had no idea what to do. 

*

Jade struggled against the guard’s arm and roughly pulled away from him, watching Tori get dragged away from her. Growling, she ran a hand through her hair angrily. 

“Oh my God Jade, what are we going to do?” Cat squealed. 

“Okay, let’s think about this rationally,” Beck began. 

“Rationally?” Jade rounded on him. “Vega is going to jail!” Beck’s eyes narrowed at her. 

“For somebody who hates Tori so much, you sure are worried about her.” Jade glared at the boy for a moment, considering punching his face in, but just scoffed and turned away. She couldn’t afford to get distracted now. She had to save Tori. She had to, it wasn’t even an option. And then suddenly, a plan hit her. 

“Okay, guys, this is what we’re going to do…”


	14. Chapter Fourteen

“Uh… go fish?” Tori asked timidly as the mountain of a person in front of her slammed down the cards on the table with a fear inducing roar. Tori winced and put her hands up to her face, expecting a blow, but was thankfully saved by another inmate whispering, “Don’t dude! She was the one who attacked the Chancellor!” The giant woman who was about to wail on Tori hesitated and backed down before storming off with her friend, leaving Tori alone. 

“Well, I didn’t want to play anyway!” Tori called after them, trying to sound strong while on the inside, trying not to mess up her underwear. Sighing, she leant back in the chair and looked around her. She was being kept in a giant cell with at least ten other female prisoners sharing with her. They were all wearing ugly orange jumpsuits that bagged off of Tori unattractively. The Yerbanian guards could have at least given her one that fit. 

Tori had expected to be hassled by the other prisoners but fortunately, word had caught fast about the accident with the shoe and the Chancellor and she was mostly left alone. 

“Where are you Jade?” Tori muttered to herself, picking at her fingernails nervously. She missed the black haired beauty, much to her dismay, and couldn’t get the image of Jade’s horror stricken face when Tori had been taken away out of her head. She had cared. And Tori had complete faith that her friends were going to get her out of this mess. 

“Toree Vagi?” Tori spun around to see a guard looking confusedly down at a clipboard. Tori sighed. 

“It’s Tori Vega! With an a,” she stressed. 

“Whatever,” the guard waved his hand. “You have visitors.” Tori’s heart soared and she rushed over to the gate where the whole gang was waiting, including Sikowitz. Tori had a right mind to chew the teacher out for his lack of help but her eyes landed on Jade’s and all intentions flew out of the window. The girl was literally the definition of worry. She had her arms crossed tightly around her torso and her eyes were darting back and forth. Jade’s mouth was pulled down in a grimace but when she spotted Tori, relief spread throughout her and down to her very core. 

“You alright Vega?” she grunted. Tori didn’t let that fool her. She could see that Jade was very liberated to see her. 

“I’m fine. Took you all long enough to come,” Tori smiled. 

“Salt!” Andre suddenly yelled and buried his face into his salt bag. 

“Are those girls giving you trouble?” Beck asked, eyeing the other prisoners warily. Tori looked around for a bit and turned back. 

“No,” she grinned sheepishly. “They’re actually a bit scared of me.” A disbelieving laugh escaped Jade’s lips before she could stop it which earned a glare from Tori.

“Really?” Robbie asked dubiously. 

“Yes. Apparently hitting the Chancellor with a shoe is the worst possible offense you could do.” Jade laughed. 

“Shame you had to go and do it then isn’t it?” she cackled. 

“Are you going to get me out of here or what?” Tori asked directing the question to Sikowitz.

“Yes! Jade has a plan,” Sikowitz exclaimed, clapping his hands together. He was looking anywhere but at Tori and Tori had a suspicious feeling that that was because he was feeling guilty. Good. 

“What’s the plan? I don’t know how much longer I can keep pretending I’m the ultimate badass that everyone in here thinks I am,” Tori joked but curled her fingers nervously. Truth be told, she was terrified. Half the women in this place had more testosterone than the average male. 

“Hold on, are those guys over there?” Beck asked incredulously. Tori turned around and saw what he was looking at; the giant fence that was separating the men from the women. 

“Uh huh,” Tori replied, her voice slightly higher than normal. 

“Oh my god, this prison is for women and men?” Robbie said disbelievingly. 

“Wait, wait, you’re telling me that freak show is a girl?” Jade asked smirking slightly. Tori glanced at the woman she was talking about and felt fear spread throughout her veins. This woman was huge. 

“What are you looking at?” the woman snarled, spotting Jade staring at her and Tori’s eyes widened. Jade pretended to look around before giving the mountain of a woman a sweet smile. 

“I’m looking at a big, stupid lady in prison. What are you looking at?” The woman growled menacingly at Jade through the bars, holding a giant stick. Tori wondered where she could have possibly gotten it from and silently willed Jade to shut her mouth!

“Aw, me make big man-lady mad,” she mocked. The prisoner angrily wacked the stick against the bars. Jade didn’t even flinch. “Oh, good one.” The woman stomped off angrily and Tori rounded on Jade, irritably. But of course, she had to have the last word and she called after the woman. “Hey! Call me and we’ll go skirt shopping!”

“Must you aggravate my fellow prisoners?” Tori asked incredulously. 

“Yes I must,” Jade replied, throwing a wink at Tori’s way. The brunette grunted but couldn’t help the racing of her heart at the action. 

“Man, eating salt is gross!” Andre suddenly chipped in, salt flying from his mouth. Tori looked at him in disgust. 

“Not as gross as the prison food they make us eat in here!” Tori exclaimed. “It’s absolutely foul!” 

“One time, when my brother was in prison, he told the people in charge that he was a vegetarian so they gave him special meals,” everybody looked at Cat. “Oh wait, that was on an airplane.” Tori and Jade shared a look.

“Will you guys please just get me out of here?” Tori asked desperately. 

“Tori, don’t worry. I managed to get us to see the Chancellor. We can talk to him,” Jade said softly. “I will get you out of here. I promise you.” Tori looked at Jade with such gratitude that the raven-haired beauty had to look away.

“Hey Vega!” Tori looked around at the women who had called her name. “Want to play Rocks?” The prisoners were holding giant rocks in their hands. 

“Uh… sure!” Tori replied, walking towards them. 

“How do you play Rocks?” Cat called. 

“I don’t know!” Tori squealed. 

“We’ll get you out of here, Tori!” Jade said to Tori’s retreating back. 

*

“Chancellor, we are here to besiege you, to let Tori Vega out of your filthy prison,” Sikowitz exclaimed. Jade, Beck, Robbie, Cat, Andre and Sikowitz were in the Chancellor’s office as the man sat behind his desk, trying to eat French fries but failing miserably, as he could no longer see out of both his eyes. Jade fought the urge to strangle the man and tapped her fingers agitatedly against her thigh. This was taking too long! 

“No!” the Chancellor exclaimed. 

“Look, Tori didn’t mean to kick her shoe off and have it… enter… your eye,” Andre said. 

“It was an accident,” Cat chipped in. 

“Hey, is that a squid in your fish tank?” Robbie suddenly asked. Jade looked at where the boy was pointing and saw with slight awe, the giant, purple squid floating around in the water. 

“Squid? What squid?” the Chancellor asked. Robbie walked over to the tank with a stupid grin on his face. 

“He is admiring your octopus,” one of the Chancellor’s guards said. 

“Ohhh, this is an octopus!” Robbie exclaimed. 

“It was given to the Chancellor by the Prince of Slovakia.”

“Ah! When I was nineteen I spent a whole month is Slovakia,” Sikowitz added. 

“It is a beautiful country,” the Chancellor’s guard said. 

“Is it?” Sikowitz asked. “Because I don’t remember one minute of that trip.” Jade looked at her teacher in absolute bewilderment. How did she end up in this wretched place with a man like Sikowitz? Could this get any worse? 

“Hey, come on now, can we get back to Tori?” Andre asked. Jade looked at the boy gratefully. Despite being the one who came up with this plan, Jade couldn’t for the life of her think of what to say to let Tori out of prison. 

“Can you please let Tori go?” Cat asked. 

“We promise you we will take her and leave,” Beck said. There was a pause as the Chancellor sighed. 

“Very well! I will free Toree Vagi!” The relief that spread throughout Jade’s body was indescribable. She could even overlook the fact that the Chancellor said Tori’s name wrong. Suddenly, there was a huge splash and everybody’s heads whipped around to see Robbie standing over the octopus’s tank. The water was electrified from the clock that the boy had accidentally dropped in. Robbie started screaming as the octopus thrashed around and was clearly electrocuted. 

“What, what happened? What’s going on?” the Chancellor exclaimed getting up from his seat and nearly tripping over himself in the process. 

“Nothing!” Robbie exclaimed. The Chancellor’s guard came rushing over to the now dead octopus and picked it up. The man looked like he was on the verge of tears. 

“Chancellor… your octopus… she’s dead.” The Chancellor did actually start crying and pure anger raced through out Jade. There was no way he would let Tori out now. Meanwhile, Sikowitz slipped quietly out of the doors, nobody noticing he was gone. 

The Chancellor suddenly yelled something in Yerbanian and then guards came racing into the room, capturing the group and handcuffing them, ushering them out of the doors. Alarms were sounded and whistles were blowing but all Jade could think about was how she was going to kill Robbie without getting caught. 

*

“You murdered the man’s octopus?” Tori asked dubiously. “Seriously?” Robbie nodded his head sheepishly. They were all in orange jumpsuits and behind bars. Robbie had been mistakenly taken for a girl so he was stuck in the women’s section of the prison, where as Beck and Andre were separated from them by a fence in the men’s section. They looked terrified. The women had nothing on the men. 

“Excuse me officer?” Robbie called walking over to the bars. “Why have I been put in the girl’s side of the prison? I’m clearly a boy!” 

“Prove it,” one of the guards smiled. 

“I’ll stay on the girl’s side,” Robbie sighed dejectedly and walked back over to the girls where Jade and Tori were having a heated discussion. 

“I thought you said you were going to get me out of here!” Tori hissed. 

“I was! Until Robbie had to ruin everything with his big hands!” Jade hissed back. 

“Hey, I can hear you, you know!” Robbie said indignantly. 

“Big and scary lady coming, big and scary lady!” Cat suddenly squealed, hiding behind Tori. 

“Oh great!” Tori turned to Jade. “It’s that woman you called big and stupid the other day!”

“I’m not afraid of her,” Jade smirked and turned to the woman approaching them. Tori felt anxiety bubble in her stomach. 

“Do you still think I’m big and stupid now?” the woman sneered with a thick, heavy accent. 

“Listen, hot stuff. You’d better just turn yourself around and walk away from me cause-” Jade was interrupted by the prisoner’s large and meaty hand pushing her to the ground. Tori gasped loudly and automatically stepped between the two women. 

“I like it on the ground!” Jade exclaimed from beneath Tori. Tori hid a relieved smile. Jade was fine. To Tori’s dismay, the mountainous woman grabbed her stick. 

“Hey, hey, hey!” Tori yelled. “She’s my friend!” 

“Yeah, yeah… we’re super close,” Jade chipped in from the floor. 

“You are lucky,” the woman said, putting the stick under Jade’s chin before walking away. Tori held out her hand to Jade who took it. Jade’s hand was sweaty and hot, giving away her nerves. Tori struggled not to laugh but couldn’t help it. 

“I didn’t need your help Vega!” 

“She would’ve eaten you!” Tori replied heatedly. 

“She wouldn’t have liked it!” Jade replied back. The two girls grinned at each other, the tension disappearing. 

“Ew Jade, your outfit’s all dirty,” Cat wrinkled her nose. Jade stared at the girl. 

“Oh no! Now I’ll never win the prison beauty pageant!” she replied sarcastically. Suddenly a guard called their names. 

“You! You… people!” The group looked at each other in bewilderment. 

“What?” Tori asked. 

“Who misses their favourite teacher?”

“Sikowitz!” 

“Hush! You have to act like I’m a Yerbanian prison guard!” 

“Where did you get that outfit?” Tori exclaimed frantically. 

“They sell these at the hotel gift shop. How stupid is that?” 

“Would you just get us out of this prison?” Robbie snapped. 

“I’m working on that.”

“You have a plan?” Jade asked. 

“Sort of. I’ve got a Duck Truck.” The group tried to look as nonchalant as possible. 

“A Duck Truck?” Jade asked. 

“Yes. I met a farmer and offered him a hundred of Yerbanian currency if he would let me borrow it. So, I’ll have the truck tomorrow night. Now, there’s an access road right behind this building. I’ll be there, waiting, after dark in the truck. When you kids jump in the back, I’ll drive us away. Sound like a plan?” 

“But how do we get out of this prison?” Tori asked. 

“Oh come on! I’m supposed to think of everything? I’ll be waiting tomorrow night! See you!” Sikowitz hurried away, leaving the group in utter disbelief. 

“How are we supposed to break out of this prison?” Robbie sobbed. 

“Hey, hey what’s Cat doing?” Jade asked. The group looked over to where Cat was showing a bunch of inmates how to dance. 

“Hips, hips, wiggle your fists!” she repeated over and over again, the female prisoners copying her. 

“Hold on, I think I know how we can break out of this place,” Jade said a smile forming on her face.


	15. Chapter Fifteen

It was part of the plan. 

Tori was taken willingly to the Chancellor’s office. This time, she was taking matters into her own hands, however, now standing in front of the man she had accidentally blinded, she was having sudden doubts. What if Jade’s plan didn’t work? What if they were stuck in Yerbanian jail for the rest of their lives! She was too young to have a prison sentence! There was no way she’d become a pop singer now. Not with a jail record on her head!

“So, you admit that you attacked my eye on porpoise?” Tori frowned at the mispronunciation of the word. 

“Yes,” Tori said trying to scratch her face but failing because her hands were handcuffed together. “Yes, I attacked your eye on… porpoise.” 

“I told you this! I told you all that she did this on porpoise!” the Chancellor exclaimed waving his arms in the opposite direction to where his men were standing. Tori hid a giggle that was threatening to erupt. 

“And, to apologize,” Tori continued. “Me and my friends and the other prisoners would like to perform a song tomorrow night. For you, your family and any other Yerbanians that you would like to invite.” She gave a fake, overly cheerful smile while on the inside, her heart was pounding. She couldn’t help but wish Jade was by her side. At least then, the butterflies in her stomach wouldn’t be so bad. The Chancellor appeared to study Tori (of course he wasn’t-he was blind) and leant his hands on the desk. 

“Why do you want this?”

Tori tried to respond but the guard keeping her still was suddenly touching her hair. She refrained from punching the irritating man in the face. “Uh, just to apologize and… quit it!” she snapped at the guard who let go immediately. Tori gave him a glare before continuing. God, why were the people in Yerba so freaking weird!? “And to honor you. I mean, wouldn’t you like to see a great American performance?” 

“See what!” the Chancellor yelled. Tori flinched. “You punctured my last working eye! All I see is black nothing!” The man’s hands were waving everywhere. 

“Please!” Tori begged. “Let us show you how sorry we are for blinding you and for murdering your octopus!” There was silence as Tori pleaded with the man. This had to work. There was no other way. 

“…Okay.” Tori squealed with relief, jumping up and down and accidentally stomping on one of the guards’ feet. 

“I am so sorry!” Tori exclaimed as the man groaned and grabbed at his injured foot. 

“Tis’ fine,” the guard muttered waving his hand in dismissal. 

“Now take her away from me!” the Chancellor screamed at a ridiculous high pitch. Dogs could have heard him. In fact, Tori swore she head dogs howl back in response. 

*

They were ready. Cat, Jade, Tori, Beck, Andre and Robbie were prepared to escape this hellish nightmare. There little group plus every other prisoner in this jail were standing behind a curtain as they could hear the chatter of the Yerbanian citizens, including the Chancellor, were sitting, waiting for the show to start. Tori’s stomach was squirming with anticipation. 

“Hello everybody! Make clap-ter for Toree Vagi and the kids from Hollywood Arts!” Tori frowned at the way they pronounced her name again. Faint, pathetic clapping could be heard as the curtain in front of them was lifted and they walked further into the spot light. There weren’t many people there. A hundred at the most. She spotted Jade rolling her eyes at the poor audience they would be performing in front of. Despite this being a getaway, a show was a show… and this sucked. 

“Welcome everybody!” Tori spoke into the microphone that was attached to her head. “We dedicate this performance to you and your esteemed Chancellor!” Tori gestured to the man who was sitting on something that resembled a throne with his tell-tale guards surrounding him. More people clapped for the Chancellor than they did with them. Tori bit her lip in annoyance. “What a… swell guy.” 

The music started as everybody got into position to start the dance that the group had taught the prisoners. Tori was pleased to see that as soon as they started to move, more people got involved, clapping and tapping their feet. At least they weren’t completely bland. As soon as it was time to sing, all thoughts were thrown to the back of Tori’s mind as she closed her eyes and let herself get lost in the music. She felt herself relax considerably and let herself have this. She’d been stressed, yelled at and thrown into a jail. She deserved this. To have her best friends beside her while practically performing for their lives was the most exhilarating experience of her life. She glanced at Jade who had already been looking at her and they smiled at each other. Jade winked and Tori grinned, feeling her heart beat pick up its pace. Without warning, the raven haired beauty danced over to her and held out her hand, a glint in her eye. This wasn’t part of the dance but Tori took it anyway, knowing that nobody would know the difference. 

“Are you ready?” Jade whispered in Tori’s ear, breathlessly. Tori just nodded and held a squeal as Jade tipped her upside down, hand on her waist, the other supporting her head. Suddenly everybody else didn’t matter. Nothing else existed except for Jade. Tori couldn’t hear anything but the loud beating of her heart as she stared at the girl above her. Jade’s eyes were portraying such emotion that Tori couldn’t make sense of it. She wasn’t sure how long they’d stayed there when Jade gave her that smirk. The one that made Tori’s insides melt, her body throb and her heart pound. 

“Time to go!” Jade mouthed and she pulled Tori up, spinning her and putting two hands on her waist. With another wink, she grabbed Tori’s wrist and dragged her backwards, following the others as the prisoner’s around them hid them. The music was still going and everybody was still dancing. To the audience, they would never even notice they were gone. The group went back behind the curtain to a much louder round of applause. 

“Come on! We have to meet Sikowitz!” Beck exclaimed breathlessly. Tori and Jade looked at each other again. Tori wanted to say something but swallowed it down knowing Beck was right. 

“Let’s go!” 

They ran to the back of the building without running into any guards as they were watching the performance. They didn’t have long before their absence would be noticed. As promised, Sikowitz was waiting in the Duck Truck on the access road. The man was still dressed in the guard uniform and was drinking out of a coconut. Tori couldn’t even describe the relief she felt at seeing him, despite the bizarre fact that he had managed to find a coconut in Yerba. 

“You did it!” Sikowitz exclaimed. Before they could celebrate their escape, sirens sounded behind them and the group froze. 

“Come on! They know we’re gone!” Tori screeched. Andre, Beck and Robbie got into the truck while Cat, Jade and Tori climbed into the back of the truck. 

“Drive Sikowitz!” Jade yelled as the man hit the gas and pedaled out of there as fast as the vehicle could go. Tori let out a sigh of relief when suddenly there was a loud squawk. Eyes widening she spotted the cage that had a duck in it!

“Oh my god,” she whispered and shook her head, leaning back and closing her eyes. “Sikowitz is insane.” 

Soon the sound of sirens were nothing but noises in the distance, far behind them and they were finally able to relax. The night sky was surprisingly clear in this country and she could make out many constellations that she could not see back in Hollywood. The full moon was high above them. It was beautiful. Tori’s eyes travelled to Jade who was staring at the sky like her. Tori was wrong. The night sky was beautiful yes, but not as much as the woman sitting beside her. Hesitantly, she reached her hand out and grazed Jade’s own skin. The girl looked at her and smiled slightly, not moving away from Tori’s touch. 

“Yerba is definitely more attractive at night,” Jade sighed. 

“It’s beautiful, much like you,” Tori whispered. She saw Jade swallow and bite her lip as she looked away. Tori exhaled and rolled her eyes moving closer to the raven haired beauty, leaning her head on the crook of Jade’s neck. The scent of Jade was overpowering. She smelled gorgeous despite the fact that she was still wearing prison clothes and neither of them had had showers in at least two days. Jade was still the most stunning thing Tori could lay eyes on. 

Weariness overtook her as her body ached. Mostly from the emotional trauma she’d been put through. The feel of Jade’s fingertips running through her hair made her close her eyes and snuggling up closer to the girl. 

“Sleep. I’ll wake you up when we get home,” Jade whispered into her ear. Tori nodded and before she knew it, she was in the land of unconsciousness, dreaming about the girl who was stroking her hair.


	16. Chapter Sixteen

“And… action!” Jade called from behind the camera. Tori took her cue and crept through a makeshift corridor which had borrowed portraits hanging up on the walls; she was determined to make this the best acting she’d ever done.

“H-hello?” Tori called out, peering around the dark corner wearing a mask of fright on her face. A loud bang (it was really Jade slamming her hand against a table) caused Tori to squeal and spin around. “Who’s there? Show yourself!”

Jade ran down the opposite side wall of the corridor and knocked all the paintings down which caused Tori to scream even louder. As indicated in her script, Tori started to jog down the corridor, breathing heavily and glancing from side to side. In a few minutes she would reach the end and a masked figure would jump out at her… and sure enough Jade leapt out from the shadows wearing a black hood and a plain white mask, much like the one Jason from Friday the 13th wears. Tori’s character almost wets herself from fright…

“Cut!” 

Tori’s grimace of terror melted into a smug grin and she exited the stage into the Black Box Theatre where Jade was fiddling around with the camera, determined not to look at Tori. 

“Well?” Tori demanded putting her hands on her hips. “How was that?” 

“I can work with it,” Jade murmured into the camera but a telltale smile was playing on her lips. 

“It was great and you know it,” Tori boasted and sat down on a chair behind Jade. Her eyes roamed the raven-haired beauty’s body and rested on her rear end causing Tori to bite her lip. These past few days had been torture for the brunette. The moment they had arrived from Yerba the two girls had been extremely placid with one another; too polite and too robotic. Tori felt like they needed to talk. There were too many unsaid feelings that needed to be raised but Jade seemed determined not to address them. The girls had dived into their assignment as it was due in two days but the project had left them little time to chat about anything and Tori was getting restless. There were at least a hundred questions on Tori’s mind and she felt like she was going to burst. 

“Jade, when are we going to get the chance to go over things?” Tori asked abruptly. Jade’s back stiffened as it always did when Tori brought this question up.

“Vega, what is there to talk about?” she sighed turning around to face the brunette who was now scowling. 

“What isn’t there to talk about?” Tori exclaimed. “For starters, everything that happened at Yerba-!”

“Why can’t we just pretend Yerba didn’t exist?” Jade interrupted. 

“Because it did exist!” Tori replied fiercely. “And so did our dance and that night when you cuddled me-”

“Stop.” Jade’s eyes were alight with a burning emotion too complex for Tori to unravel. The girl looked angry, scared and unsure of herself, her hands balled into fists. Tori suddenly felt anger spike up her own spine as she glared down the girl in front of her. Jade had no reason whatsoever to be feeling angry with her. After all it was Jade who had initiated that dance and that cuddle, that neck kiss… She was being unfair and Tori was prepared to put her foot down. 

“I’m sick of this,” Tori said quietly. “I don’t understand why you’re angry with me when I have done nothing wrong. You know how I feel about you and you still did all of those things. If anything it should be me that’s angry! You’re playing with my feelings!” 

Jade’s hands twitched and unclenched, she looked like she’d just been slapped in the face and all the while it was clear that she was having a violent war inside of herself, as if she couldn’t make a decision. Tori realized then that Jade wasn’t angry at her, she was angry with herself. 

“Jade, I need you to talk to me,” Tori pleaded. “Nothing is ever going to be resolved if we can’t talk.” 

Jade’s eyes glistened as what looked like a thousand different emotions crossed her face at once and the girl sighed, sitting down heavily next to Tori. She was looking resolutely at her linked hands. Tori had never seen Jade so conflicted before in her life and she felt slight guilt as this was undoubtedly her fault. 

“What you need to understand,” Jade said at last, her voice wavering slightly. “Is that you are the only real friend I’ve ever had. Yes, I know I’ve already told you this,” Tori had been about to protest. “But this is really important. You don’t know how hard it is for me to act around people, let alone you!”

“You had no problem with Beck,” Tori said bitterly. Their assignment was completely forgotten now as the girls stared at one another, each trying to figure the other one’s thoughts out. 

“He’s-”

“Different, yeah I know,” Tori finished Jade’s sentence and looked away, trying to blink the cloudiness from her eyes. Her resolve was slowly whittling away. She was finding it hard to find reasons to stay for Jade.

Jade, on the other hand, was feeling desperate. She could feel the mental wall that Tori was starting to put up between them and as she stared at the brunette she knew that she was ruining her last chances. Jade couldn’t expect Tori to stick around and she didn’t blame her. She wouldn’t want to stick around herself either. 

“I’m sorry.” The words slipped out of Jade before she could stop them. “Tori, I’m sorry. For everything. For… for making you feel like I’m playing with your feelings. For reacting badly when you told me you liked me. For making your life a living hell all these years. You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me and… I-I…” Tears were flowing steadily down Jade’s cheeks now but she didn’t have the strength to hide anymore. She didn’t want to pretend to be someone she’s not in front of Tori. She wanted Tori to see and know everything. She wanted to feel loved by someone who can see everything about herself and not be scared off. There were some things even Beck didn’t know and she, not once in her life, has ever felt truly loved. 

Tori was stunned. Shocked, even. She had no idea how to react to Jade’s tears or confession. A strange ringing was resounding in her ears and all she could feel was a deep pity and worry for the girl beside her. Tori knew Jade was hurting, but she had seriously underestimated how much so. Her body reacted quicker than her brain and Tori flung her arms around Jade without saying a word. She held Jade tightly while the raven-haired beauty clung to her, crying into her shoulder. 

“Jade, I accept your apology,” Tori whispered into the girl’s hair. “Please don’t cry. Please. I’m so worried about you. I’m not going anywhere, I promise.” Jade slowly looked up, wiping her eyes. She looked faintly embarrassed and ashamed and Tori felt her heart constrict to see the girl she loved in so much pain. 

“I don’t understand!” Jade hissed fiercely. “Why do you have feelings for me? How do you not despise me like I do? How are you not…” the girl struggled to find the words. “Repulsed by me?”

Tori gaped at her, the words that Jade had just let slip barely registering in the brunette’s mind. How can such a beautiful, gorgeous girl like Jade see herself in such an awful manner? How could she even think those things!?

“Jade, shut up,” Tori said bluntly. Jade opened her mouth but fell silent. Tori shook her head and grabbed Jade’s hand tightly. “I think you are perfect just the way you are. You have your flaws, everyone does, and despite the arguments and the fights we are always having, I know that everything about you is just an act!” Jade’s face was slack with disbelief. “I know that below the cold hearted pretense is a girl worth fighting for. A girl who I adore so very much.” 

Jade took a shaky breath but her eyes were steely with unexpected determination and Tori knew what was coming. “You don’t know me as well as you think Tori. There are so many things you don’t know.” 

Tori had been expecting this response and refrained from rolling her eyes. “I am sick of hearing the same excuses Jade. I have invested myself in you. Let me see those parts of you that you don’t show to everyone else. Let me prove to you that I won’t go screaming when you open up to me.” 

Tori heard Jade grind her teeth together as she glared at the brunette. 

“You are so goddamn stubborn Vega.” Tori gave her a slight smile. 

“You’ll find me extremely loyal,” was all Tori replied with. The girls stood up together and Jade meandered back over to the camera, still wiping her red eyes. Tori sighed wearily, wondering how she got into these situations. 

“Let’s finish this assignment and then we can sleep easy at night,” Jade chuckled and Tori nodded in agreement. As Jade was setting up the equipment for the next scene, Tori found herself thinking back to what had started all of this. 

Jade’s notebook. 

“Who were you referring to when you wrote ‘beautiful girl’?” Tori asked suddenly looking over at Jade. The brunette was surprised to find a small smile playing on the raven-haired beauty’s lips. 

“Wouldn’t you like to know?” she teased. Tori bit her lip. 

“Seriously though.” 

“If you must know, it was in fact about you. But!” Tori’s face had split into a wide grin. “I had only written that because I was working on a new play and I was thinking of actors that could be in it and one of the main characters had to be really attractive and-”

But Tori wasn’t listening anymore. She knew enough to recognize when Jade was lying and boy was raveling out a tall tale now. The brunette found herself glancing at Jade’s lips and she had a sudden image of her leaping forwards and capturing them with her own lips. She wondered fleetingly how soft Jade’s lips would feel and what she would taste like…

“Vega? Are you listening to me?” Tori snapped out of her reverie and smiled sheepishly at Jade who was looking slightly perplexed. 

“Sorry, I got completely lost in my own thoughts then,” Tori said mildly. 

“What were you thinking about?” Jade asked curiously. Tori bit her lip. 

“Kissing you.” There was a stunned silence while Tori examined Jade’s reaction whose mouth had opened slightly. 

“Well that was very… forward,” Jade muttered clearing her throat slightly. Tori was delighted to hear the sudden roughness in her voice and was hoping that her confession had affected Jade in some way. 

“If you want to hear something forward then you should have seen the dream I was having about you the other night-”

Jade laughed loudly and shook her head. 

“No, no, I don’t need to hear that!” she exclaimed still grinning. Tori felt her heart lift at the smile on Jade’s face and marveled once again at how the girl’s demeanor changed drastically when she was happy. She was so beautiful it ached to look at her. Jade noticed this sudden change in mood and they fell silent, looking at each other. 

“Why is it that we keep getting distracted whenever we try to do this damn assignment?” Tori murmured, still staring at Jade’s face. 

“I-I don’t know,” Jade whispered back. The air was suddenly tense and Tori took a step closer to the raven-haired beauty. She looked anxious. 

“Do I make you nervous?” Tori asked quietly, never taking her eyes off of Jade. 

“Honestly?” Tori nodded. “Yeah, you do a bit.” 

“Why?” the brunette asked, stepping closer to Jade. They were at arms distance to each other now and Tori was captivated by Jade’s murky eyes. They were swimming with emotion but they never left Tori’s face. Tori could have sworn that they kept darting down to her lips. 

“Because you’re different. I’ve never met anyone like you. You make me… feel things,” Jade murmured. Tori inched a little bit closer and Jade swallowed. 

“Feel things?” Tori whispered. 

“Yeah, stupid soppy things that makes my heart race and-and butterflies in my… stomach.” Tori had stepped even closer and had moved so that her lips were hovering over Jade’s ear. 

“Sounds like you’ve got some suppressed feelings there also Miss West,” Tori murmured into Jade’s ear who shivered. The raven-haired beauty snaked an arm around Tori’s waist and breathed heavily into the brunette’s neck. Tori felt a smug grin sneak onto her face and she breathed deeply, inhaling the familiar scent of vanilla and mint. Tori’s body was alight, her stomach coiling in pleasure and her hands itching to explore Jade. The brunette’s lips found Jade’s neck, kissing the shockingly soft skin there. Jade couldn’t help the little groan escape her mouth and her hands daringly clutched Tori’s jean clad ass. A small squeal erupted from Tori at the surprising move and she laughed. 

“That was inappropriate West!” Tori felt Jade smirk against her skin. 

“You think that was inappropriate? You just wait till-”

But what Tori could wait for was never revealed because the door to the Black Box Theatre was yanked open and the two girls once again, were interrupted by their fellow classmates. 

“Jade I… Oh!” Cat and Andre were standing there looking shocked as they had just witnessed Jade and Tori standing far too closely together for what could be called ‘friendly.’ Jade and Tori shared a glance of extreme irritation. 

“Sorry if we interrupted something,” Andre said hastily. “We just came to see how the filming was going.” 

“It’s going fine,” Jade snapped. 

“Do-do you mind if we stay and watch?” Andre asked timidly but looking at Tori this time. Tori hid an amused smile at how flustered the boy had become. Meanwhile, Cat was playing with her hair and humming a tune, giggling every now and then. 

“Of course not,” Tori replied shooting Jade a warning glance. “We were just about to start shooting the final scene.” 

“Awesome.” Andre pulled Cat down into two seats and Jade went grumbling back behind the camera. Tori couldn’t help the grin on her face and for the first time in weeks, she felt like things were going to be okay.


	17. Chapter Seventeen

The sound of Christmas bells was in the air, gold and silver tinsel strung over every piece of furniture and of course, a giant Christmas tree was put up in the middle of the lounge with gifts hidden beneath it. Tori Vega was wrapping presents on the couch, humming a tuneless melody, occasionally ripping off pieces of sticky tape for the wrapping paper. School was finished for the year and she was eager to spend more time with who was rapidly becoming her favorite person, Jade West. Their horror film had been a complete success but they hadn’t had a lot of chances to spend time together alone. Their friends had been insistent on going to as many Christmas parties as possible. 

The sound of Trina stomping around upstairs put Tori’s teeth on edge and she rolled her eyes. Her sister had become more and more agitated lately. Tori suspected it was due to the absence of their parents who were disappearing on a regular basis. They had returned from their trip, but Tori had only seen them three times since. Usually it was for her mother to tell her that she wasn’t doing enough around the house and that she should step up seeing as her sister was about to go to university. 

Tori sighed, feeling her mood plummet dramatically. It was two days until Christmas but she felt incredibly sad and lonely. 

Tori’s phone buzzed then and she grabbed it. Jade’s name popped up on the screen and Tori felt a smile pull on her lips, her heart thumping erratically. 

Vega, it’s snowing, can I come over?

Tori didn’t even hesitate with her answer. 

Of course.

The butterflies in Tori’s stomach was almost overwhelming and she jumped up, racing to her room and changing into something she thought was more appealing. By the time her doorbell rang (Jade had finally respected her wishes of privacy) Tori was a sweaty mess. She wasn’t sure why she was so nervous except maybe for the fact that she had never felt this strongly about another person in her life. It scared her. 

“Vega? Hello? Anybody home?” 

Tori took a deep breath and went downstairs, ignoring the screams of Trina’s ‘get the stupid door!’ and opened it. Jade West was standing there in all her beautiful glory, an impatient frown lining her features which immediately turned into a small smile once she saw Tori. The girl was dressed in a heavy black, fur lined coat, leggings and boots. Despite the layers of clothing, Jade still wrapped her arms around herself and shivered. 

“Are you going to let me in Vega?” Jade smirked slightly. 

“Y-yeah of course,” Tori blushed and stood aside, watching in slight awe as the girl strode inside and settled herself down on the couch. 

“The house looks awesome, Vega. Did you do it yourself?” 

Tori joined Jade on the couch and grimaced slightly. 

“Yeah, I did all of it. No help from Miss Drama Queen up there and of course, you can count my parents out.” Tori averted her eyes to the floor and picked at the couch lining.

“Your parents fucking suck Vega, you deserve a lot better,” Jade murmured. Tori looked at her and found murky green eyes staring back. Jade’s gaze was so intense that Tori almost forgot where she was. “Merry Christmas Tori.” 

To Tori’s surprise, Jade reached into her pocket and pulled out a small wrapped gift and gave it to her. 

“You didn’t have to get me anything,” was Tori’s first response to which Jade just rolled her eyes and leant back into the couch, hands in pockets. 

“Don’t get used to it, I don’t usually buy people anything for Christmas.”

Tori fingered the small package, trying to guess what it was. 

“Then why did you get me this?” she asked, looking at the red wrapping paper. It was wrapped beautifully, Tori was almost jealous. She had never been able to get her presents to look like this. 

“Because I felt like it,” Jade replied stubbornly. Tori just smiled and shook her head. 

“I have something for you too,” Tori admitted shyly. 

Jade’s eyes lit up as she grinned broadly. 

“Really? What is it?” 

Tori laughed and went over to the tree, crouched down beneath its base and found the present. She had searched high and low for a suitable gift for Jade when she had finally had the idea of building a bear that, when you pressed its paw, sang the song she had written for Jade. She hoped that Jade would like it and felt apprehensive when she handed it to the girl. 

Jade received it with a dazzling smile and a wink at the brunette whose feelings were resembling something of a tornado at the moment. 

“Shall we open our presents together?” Jade asked as Tori settled back down beside her, this time closer so that their knees were touching and their legs were brushing together. Tori nodded and the girls were silent for a moment as they unwrapped their gifts. 

Tori’s mouth dropped when she saw what Jade had gotten her. It was a gorgeous gold necklace shaped as a small piano. When she turned the piano over, the words beautiful girl were engraved in the back. Tears sprang to her eyes as sudden emotion flooded through her. She felt wanted, needed, loved. 

“Oh Jade!” Tori exclaimed looking at the girl with misty eyes. “This is the most beautiful necklace I’ve ever seen. Thank you so much.” 

Jade had a lump in her throat as she opened her own present. The bear was adorable and incredibly soft. It was dressed in a small, black, leather jacket and mini shorts which made her smile. She saw that the paw had ‘PRESS ME’ on it, and so she did. The sound of Tori’s voice filled the air and the girls fell silent, listening to the words of what was once a confession of feelings that Jade was unaware of. 

The lump in Jade’s throat grew as she struggled not to start bawling as Tori was beside her. This girl was wonderful and deserved the entire world, deserved so much more than what Jade could give her. 

After the song finished, all Jade could say was, “wow.” 

“D-do you like it?” Tori blubbered as she wiped her eyes. 

“I love it,” Jade whispered, stroking the bear’s ears fondly. 

“Jade?” Jade’s eyes snapped to Tori’s. She was holding the necklace she had given her. “Can you put this on me?”   
Jade bit her lip and nodded. 

“Turn around,” Jade murmured, taking the necklace from Tori. Tori complied and moved her hair away from her neck. Jade took in the sight of her pale skin, noting the freckles dotted across her neck and the birthmark in her hairline. Slowly, Jade undid the clasp on the necklace and reached around, placing it on Tori’s neck. Her fingers brushed the girl’s skin which was so soft, softer than any toy bear, and took great pleasure in the sigh Tori made at the contact.   
Tori turned back around and grasped the jewelry, smiling. 

“Thank you Jade, honestly. It is so beautiful, I just… I don’t know what to say,” Tori babbled. Jade leaned forward suddenly and wrapped her arms around the girl, burying her face in the brunette’s hair. Tori responded automatically, pulling the girl even closer. 

“Thank you, Tori,” Jade murmured. “You’ve made this the best Christmas I’ve ever had.” 

Tears were threatening Tori again so she didn’t reply, only placed her lips on the black haired beauty’s neck, her hands trailing down to her waist and resting there.   
The girls stayed there for what seemed like a lifetime, and when they finally pulled apart, both pairs of eyes were slightly misty. They looked at each other and were suddenly laughing.

“Keep it down!” Trina’s screeching voice came from upstairs. “I’m trying to concentrate!”

“Your sister is such a charmer,” Jade grinned. Tori just rolled her eyes and shook her head, still clutching the necklace. Jade put her hand on Tori’s thigh and squeezed, causing shivers to crawl up and down the brunette’s spine. Their gaze was pulled to one another again and something changed. Something clicked. The air between them became electrified. Jade leaned forward once again, but not for a hug. With both hands cupping the soft skin of Tori’s face, their eyes never leaving each other’s, Jade finally brushed her lips against Tori’s. It was brief and oh so gentle, yet Tori’s heart burst, her eyes fluttered close and she found herself desperately wanting so much more. The scent of Jade was washing over her and it was a miracle that she could even form a coherent thought.

Jade leaned back slightly, worried that she may have overstepped a boundary but Tori just squeaked and yanked the black haired beauty back towards her, crashing her lips against Jade’s once again. This time it was raw and passionate, Jade’s hands flying to Tori’s waist and bringing them roughly closer. Tori moaned into the kiss which just spurred Jade on. It was all teeth, lips and tongue and it was wonderful. 

Tori had never felt so completed, so wanted and so goddamn turned on in her life. She found her own hands wandering, as if with a life of their own as they travelled downwards, resting on Jade’s thighs and slowly, ever so slowly, rising upwards. 

Jade was in heaven. She had never had a kiss so fiery and heated. She was throbbing and needy and just wanted to touch Tori forever and ever, never wanting to let go of her. The emotions running through her body were indescribable and she welcomed them gladly, a distraction from the usual numbness she felt on a regular basis. She knew she could get addicted to this. And she knew she wouldn’t care. 

Tori’s hands were getting dangerously close to her heated core and Jade groaned lowly, reluctantly grabbing the brunette’s wrist. 

“I-I’m sorry,” Tori breathed heavily once they broke apart. Jade just shook her head. 

“Don’t be.” She pulled them together again and with surprising strength, lifted Tori onto her lap so that the girl was straddling her. Tori squealed and laughed into the kiss. Jade smirked and ran her hands down the brunette’s back and grabbed her jean clad ass which was met with a muffled moan.   
Jade had wanted to do this for so long and she felt her heart swell as she gave her all to the girl on top of her. 

She was hopelessly in love and she knew it. But right now, all that mattered was Tori.


	18. Chapter Eighteen

“Tori Vega, wake up right now!” Tori opened her eyes, sunlight streaming through her curtains, disorientating her slightly. The smell of bacon and eggs wafted from downstairs and her stomach growled. Groaning, she sat up in bed and stretched. “Tori!” 

Tori rolled her eyes. It was one of those rare moments where her mother was actually home, but by the sounds of things, she wasn’t happy. That didn’t particularly surprise her.   
The brunette got up, got changed, grabbed her phone and texted her new girlfriend (Tori still couldn’t believe it) good morning and hurried downstairs, stuffing the phone into her pocket where she would be able to feel it vibrate. A week ago today, Tori and Jade had kissed and she still ran that moment in her mind, feeling butterflies and warm pleasure curl in her belly every time. Her dreams were coming true. Jade wanted her back. Jade wanted her. 

It was a miracle. It was incredible. 

“You’re incredibly lazy, you know that?” 

And there goes my morning, Tori thought bitterly as she stared at her mother in the kitchen. The woman wasn’t even looking at her, crouched over the sizzling pan where the wonderful smell was coming from. Tori saw with slight disappointment, that she looked like she was heading out once again. The older brunette was wearing black high heels, a short pencil skirt and a tight fitting, white blouse. She was either going for a job interview or on a date. Tori hardly thought the former was true. 

Then where the hell is dad?

“I’m not lazy,” Tori replied as calmly as she could muster. “It’s only nine in the morning on a Saturday.” 

Her mother turned around with a frown. 

“Don’t talk back to me, Tori! Show some damn respect. You don’t see Trina mouthing off to me like that.” 

Tori’s nostrils flared and she bit her lip from retorting, knowing that that would only make things worse. 

“That’s because Trina is almost never here,” she muttered and sat down at the kitchen table, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. 

“Speaking of your sister, where is she?” 

Tori rolled her eyes. 

“Mum, she’d be in bed, like all normal teenagers on the weekend.” 

“Trina!” the woman shrieked and Tori winced at how high pitched her voice was. Thankfully, she felt her phone buzz against her thigh and took it out. 

Good morning, Tori Vega. Why are you up so damn early? 

Tori smiled as she replied back. 

My charming mother is actually here for once. Can’t say I wish she was. She woke me up by screaming my name and then when I went to see what was wrong, she just proceeded to insult me. Like usual.

Five seconds later and there was a reply. 

I wish I could sock her one. Your mother is vile, Vega. Do you want me to come pick you up? 

“Who are you texting twenty-four seven?” Tori’s head snapped up at her mother. 

“It’s just Jade,” she replied warily. 

“That awful Goth girl?” she sneered, disgust lacing her words. Immediate anger boiled inside of Tori, so searing and menacing that her vision turned red for a moment. Her phone vibrated again from Jade but she was so fixated on her awful mother, that she couldn’t bring herself to reply. 

Trina chose that moment to make an appearance, hair ruffled and a yawn in her voice, “What’s up-” The eldest Vega sister saw the tense situation in the kitchen and frowned, walking in and standing behind Tori’s chair, almost protectively. 

“You don’t even know Jade, mother, so shut your mouth,” Tori hissed her hands shaking from barely controlled rage. Trina gasped quietly and instinctively put a hand on her sister’s shoulder, concern being the only emotion she could feel. Tori may get on Trina’s nerves, but when it came to their parents, they were one and the same.   
Tori’s phone vibrated again. 

“How dare you speak to me like that? You’re grounded young lady! Say goodbye to parties or whatever else you get up to, because you are not allowed to leave this house! Do you hear me?” 

Tori could barely hear her mother’s words over her heart beating in her ears. Her blood was boiling. She couldn’t remember ever being angrier. From the way Trina’s grip had tightened on her shoulder, she knew that her sister was starting to feel the same way. 

“Fine! Not like you’d know anyway, would you mother? You’re never fucking here!” Tori shrieked. “Where the hell are you going today? Planning on screwing some random guy you met on the streets? Where the hell is dad?” 

The girls’ mother stood up to her full height, anger and shock etched over her face.

“It is none of your business what I do in my spare time,” she hissed and looked up to Trina, expecting full support. “Trina, you are to make sure that Tori doesn’t leave this house. Understand?” 

Trina merely looked at the woman who birthed her, but no longer had any rights to call herself their mother, and shook her head. 

“Sorry mum, but I’m not her keeper. She can do what she pleases. Maybe if you spent more time around here, you’d be able to enforce the punishments yourself. But you’re not, so don’t expect me to do your dirty work.” 

The silence following this comment was deafening. Tori felt a smile play at her lips as unbelievable gratitude and love for her sister coursed through her veins. The sudden sound of the smoke alarm broke the tension as the cooking breakfast burned. Their mother cursed angrily and turned the heat down before turning back to her daughters. 

“I’m leaving,” she sneered. “Don’t expect me to come back. I am sick to death of both of your shit.”

The vile woman grabbed her handbag off of the kitchen table and stormed to the front door. 

“Where is dad?” Tori yelled once again. Her only reply was the door slamming shut behind her. The girls sighed in both relief and anxiety.

“Thank you Trina, really,” Tori murmured, turning to her sister. Trina smiled sadly at Tori. 

“Don’t worry about it. It’s what I’m here for. Plus, you can’t seriously think I’d let that bitch get away with talking to my little sister like that, do you? Only I can do that!” 

Tori laughed and Trina went over to the burnt bacon. 

“Think we can scavenge some of this?” she asked looking at the charcoaled food in disgust. 

“Trina, where’s dad?” Tori interrupted. The older girl sighed and merely shrugged. 

“Tori, if I knew, he’d be here right now.” 

Tori felt a hollow disappointment in her stomach, all urges for food gone. They may as well have been orphans now. Their mother had gone and their dad was practically missing. Tears prickled at her eyes. 

“I reckon mum’s cheating on him,” Tori blurted out. Trina bit her lip and shook her head. 

“I wouldn’t be surprised by anything at this point.” 

“Did you see what she was wearing?” Tori hissed. “That screamed date all over it!” 

“Look, for all we know, she was going to meet dad.” Both girls knew how unlikely that was. They had never seen their mother dressed as nice as that when going out with their father. Tori simply scoffed. 

“Whatever, you keep thinking that, Trina, if it helps you sleep at night,” she said bitterly. “But face it, we’re practically alone now. Our parents don’t give a shit about us and you know it.” 

“One more year and then I’m out of here,” Trina murmured absentmindedly. Tori’s eyebrows shot to the ceiling at that. 

“What about me?” she exclaimed heatedly. “Are you going to leave me here?” 

Trina looked at Tori and her expression softened. 

“No, Tori, of course not. I didn’t mean it like that-”

“Yeah, you did!” Tori exploded hurt shooting through her chest, like she’d been shot by something ice cold. “How could you do that to me? You’re practically leaving me to be eaten by wolves! You’re my sister! I’ll die here without you!” 

“I know you and Jade have-”

“Trina, I need my sister,” Tori whispered desperate tears welling up. The thought of being stuck in this house alone was crushing her. Overwhelming claustrophobia was sucking away her breath. She was on the verge of a panic attack. Her phone vibrated again. 

“Tori, I’m not going anywhere, okay?” Trina swore looking at her sister with concern. “I promise you, please don’t cry.” 

Tori wiped her eyes angrily, feeling ashamed of herself. She knew she was being selfish; Trina had her own life, but she couldn’t help but feel needy at this moment. She just needed to get used to the parent’s situation and she should be fine. 

“I’m sorry Trina, it’s stupid,” Tori muttered shaking her head. “Mum just really gets to me.”   
Trina smiled slightly. 

“I know, but please don’t worry about it. And by the sounds of your vibrating phone, I’d say Jade really wants to see you today,” Tori looked at her sister in shock who just smiled wider and tapped the side of her nose. “Have fun lil’ sis.” 

Trina walked back upstairs to her bedroom and Tori hurriedly fished out her phone. Jade had messaged her another four times, each more frantic than the last. 

I’m sorry about that. Long story. Come pick me up now.

Jade replied instantly. 

On my way.   
*  
“And then she stormed out of the house without bothering to tell me where dad is,” Tori finished sighing and popping another French fry in her mouth, chewing absentmindedly. Jade was tracing lazy circles on the back of Tori’s hand while they sat in a fish & chip shop.

“I’m sorry Vega, your mum is a real cow,” Jade said frowning. She was sipping at her black coffee, watching Tori intently and not liking the deep worry lines in the girl’s forehead or the mistiness in her eyes. She deserved the best in life and she wasn’t getting it. Jade hoped with all her might that her mother got what she had coming to her. It filled the black-haired beauty with anger at the pain this was causing Tori. 

Ever since Jade had kissed the brunette, she had been all that she could think about. It scared her how quickly Tori had become important to her. The girl had managed to bury herself into her heart and under her skin, but Jade knew that she didn’t mind. At the end of the day, she knew Tori would never intentionally hurt her. That wasn’t what worried her. It was more what Jade would do to her that was plaguing her thoughts. What would happen if Tori found out the truth about her? 

“Jade? Are you alright?” Tori asked in concern as she saw the far off look in the girl’s eyes. She recognized the look and knew Jade was thinking about something that was troubling her. The cogs in the girl’s head was turning at an all-time rate. 

“I’m fine, don’t worry,” Jade gave her a small smile, one that didn’t quite reach the eyes. Tori didn’t bother pushing though; Jade would tell her in her own time.   
Tori pushed away the rest of the hot chips and sighed, leaning back into the chair and stretching, observing the girl sitting opposite her. Jade was wearing a lovely green, long sleeved top, and a black skirt that reached to her knees. Her beautiful, dark hair showered over her shoulders in long curls but it was her eyes that caught the most attention. They were strangely bright today, the green standing out against her pale skin. Jade wasn’t wearing any makeup and she looked oddly vulnerable. 

“Are you finished with these?” 

Tori looked up, startled. A waitress was standing there patiently, with a fake smile planted on her face. 

“Yes, thank you,” Tori uttered, her eyes trailing back to Jade. The waitress took the nearly empty plate of chips and walked off, the brunette hardly paying attention. Jade gave Tori a heart stopping grin, “I had a plan for today.” 

“Oh?” Tori breathed, still slightly dazzled. 

“Do you remember, about a month ago now, when I told you I wanted to get my eyebrow pierced?” 

Tori smiled slightly at the memory, recalling how flustered she had gotten at picturing the piercing on the girl. 

“Yes.” 

“How about doing that today?” 

Tori nodded and she stood up from the booth they were sitting in. Jade suddenly grabbed her hand and the brunette turned back to her. Tori’s heart caught in her throat as she saw the look in the black-haired girl’s eyes; intense and smoldering. With baited breath, Jade leaned in and kissed the back of Tori’s hand, before standing up in front of her. The girl was slightly taller than Tori so she had to look up a bit to see Jade’s eyes. Tori swallowed hard, feeling her heart pound erratically. She had to fight the urge to close her eyes and breathe in deep, smelling the sweet scent that was Jade West. 

“Can I kiss you?” the raven-haired beauty whispered. Tori merely nodded and the girl leaned in, hovering just over Tori’s lips. Jade was teasing the brunette and she almost growled in frustration. 

“Kiss me already,” Tori whispered harshly. Jade chuckled but did as she was told, brushing her lips softly against Tori’s. The brunette was having none of it though and responded harshly, kissing Jade with a ferocity. Jade didn’t complain and wrapped an arm around the girl’s waist as Tori flung her own arms around Jade’s neck. The necklace that Jade had given the brunette swung between their bodies as they kissed heavily. 

Tori could barely think, barely breathe, and barely function. How she had survived without this her entire life, baffled her. She was addicted to Jade already and that terrified Tori. She didn’t want to give the girl power to hurt her but she knew it was already too late. At that thought, she pushed Jade away slightly, breaking the contact between them with a gasp. She had completely forgotten that they were still in public, but thankfully the small shop that they were in was secluded and nobody was looking their way.   
Tori looked at Jade and saw an extremely lopsided grin adorning her face and she felt her heart melt at the sight. Smiling back she just hit the girl on the arm. 

“Come on, let’s go get your eyebrow pierced, you big dolt.”


	19. Chapter Nineteen

“Ouch!” Jade winced as the needle pierced her eyebrow. Tori smirked and gripped the raven-haired beauty’s hand tightly. The pretty blonde doing the piercing smirked as well to which Jade scowled fiercely. The woman put the simple piece of jewelry into Jade’s eyebrow and stood back, admiring the finishing product. Tori’s eyes roamed Jade’s face and blushed slightly. She had definitely been right, the piercing looked unbelievably sexy on Jade. The girl was so attractive that it was almost unfair. 

Jade noticed the look and a lopsided grin spread across her lips. “See something you like?” she threw in a wink for good measure. Tori swallowed the lump in her throat, feeling like her cheeks were about to burst into fire as her nether regions exploded with heat. 

“As if you needed a bigger ego booster,” Tori mumbled. Jade laughed loudly and got up out of the leather chair she’d been sitting in, swinging her hand in Tori’s that had not once been let go of. She rubbed her thumb gently in circles across the brunette’s skin, the action not going unnoticed. Tori’s heart was thumping uncomfortably fast and what seemed like a permanent smile was etched across her face. 

Is this what it felt like to be happy?

The girls followed the piercer to the front of the shop, still holding hands. The blonde woman glanced at them curiously but didn’t comment. God knew she got a wide variety of people in her shop; lesbian couples certainly weren’t new.

“That’ll be thirty dollars please,” she said politely. Jade fished around in her pocket and let go of Tori’s hand momentarily to find the money. Once she had given it to the woman, her hand was straight back in the brunette’s, causing butterflies to explode in Tori’s stomach. 

Once Jade had received the icepack and the cleaning materials for her new piercing, the girls walked hand in hand out of the shop and down the street in silence, reveling in the slight nip in the air and listening to the birds calling to one another. There was never an awkward moment and for this, Tori was grateful, content just to be in Jade’s company.   
The unpleasant scene with her mother earlier in the day was pushed to the back of her mind the longer she spent time with Jade. However, she knew she would have to go back home at some point and her spirits were dampened dramatically. Jade noticed the sudden change in mood and squeezed Tori’s hand in concern, pulling them to a halt in the middle of the street. 

“Are you alright, Tori?” 

Tori smiled thinly but sighed. “I’m just thinking about going back home again.” 

“Don’t even give that a thought right now. You’re with me and we’re spending time together away from your mother. We still have a few hours left yet,” Jade replied, almost fiercely. She was determined to keep Tori distracted, even if it was only for a little while. The girl deserved happiness and Jade was going to do all that she could to give it to her. 

This time the smile on Tori’s face was genuine. “What would I do without you?” 

Jade rolled her eyes playfully. “Be horribly bored?” 

This earned a loud laugh and Jade couldn’t help but marvel at how beautiful the sound was. She shook her head in bemusement. 

“What?” Tori asked curiously. “Why are you looking at me like that?” 

“I was just thinking,” Jade replied, swinging their hands together as they started to walk down the street again. “How wonderfully scary it is that your happiness means a great deal to me.” 

Tori was surprised and looked at Jade’s face. Her murky eyes were far away and she was biting her lip in thought. The brunette would never get used to some of the things that came out of Jade’s mouth. This new girl that actually confides in Tori about her feelings unnerves her slightly. However, she knew that Jade was holding back. She knew there were things she didn’t quite yet understand about her new girlfriend, but there was no rush. They had all the time in the world. The thought brought a smile on her face as her heart sped up in response. 

“Well, I for one, still cannot believe that you, Jade West, actually… likes me,” Tori said breathlessly. “After all those years of fighting and not being able to stand one another… it’s just… it’s like a dream! I half expect to wake up in my bed, extremely disappointed to find that it wasn’t real.”   
Jade grinned beautifully at the brunette. “Don’t worry babe, I can guarantee that it is one-hundred percent real.” 

Babe. 

That one, little word caused Tori’s heart to leap into her throat. She felt like squealing for joy. Warmth spread throughout her entire body and the smile that appeared ached her cheeks. After all those times hearing Jade call Beck that and wishing it was her she was saying it to, Tori could hardly believe it. It was finally happening. 

“I like it when you call me that,” Tori finally got out, feeling her cheeks heat up slightly. 

“What, ‘babe?’” Jade asked cocking her head in curiosity as she took in the sudden flushed complexion of her girlfriend. Tori merely nodded, looking down at the ground sheepishly. Jade couldn’t help the smirk and she stopped them again. They were outside a pet store and the irritating birds inside were shrieking. Not exactly the most romantic scenario she could think of. But nevertheless…

Jade cupped Tori’s chin in one hand and brought her head up so that she could see her face. Jade swallowed harshly, truly realizing just how beautiful the brunette was. The high cheekbones, the warm chocolate eyes and the soft lips just begging to be kissed. And so, that is what she did. Jade leaned down and kissed Tori, sweetly and gently. Their eyes fluttered close and Tori didn’t try to deepen it, drowning in the feeling of affection and warmth. 

When they broke apart, both girls’ eyes were sparkling and both chests were heaving. The kiss had been simple and yet had more effect on their bodies than if they’d been passionately making out. There had been too many emotions thrown into that kiss and Tori was feeling positively overwhelmed, unsure how to cope with how she felt for the raven-haired beauty. 

“That was-” Jade said breathlessly. 

“Amazing?” Tori finished laughing. Jade hummed in response, making up her mind that chocolate brown was now her favorite color. 

“I could certainly get used to this,” Jade murmured as they once again, made their way down the street. Fingers laced with fingers, slightly sweaty palms pressed tightly together, thumb circling over soft skin. 

“Tell me about it,” Tori sighed happily. “So where are we off to next, Miss West?” 

Jade snorted at the title. “Miss West, huh?” Tori merely slapped the raven-haired beauty’s arm in response causing another cackle from Jade. 

“You always call me ‘Vega!’” Tori complained. 

“I know, it’s a bit of a habit,” Jade confessed. “But I’m trying to get out of it.” 

“Oh thanks,” Tori said sarcastically. “Because using my name must be so hard,” the brunette rolled her eyes playfully. “Seriously though, what are we going to do now?” 

The question had a double connotation to it, Jade heard it. What are we going to do now? The raven-haired beauty shrugged. 

Take each day as it comes, I suppose. 

“Let’s go see a movie,” Jade said instead. 

“As long as it isn’t that new gory film, then I’m all for it,” Tori laughed. 

“Fine,” Jade drawled. “But no romantic comedies either!” 

“Okay then, so either a comedy or an action film?” 

Jade nodded. “Sounds good.” 

The girls headed for Jade’s car in the underground carpark and got in, Jade pulling out and heading for the movie theatre. In the silence that ensued, Tori suddenly had a thought. 

“Is this a date?” she blurted out. Jade grinned and chuckled. 

“Sure, if you want it to be,” she replied, winking at the brunette. Tori definitely wanted it to be and smiled happily all the way to the cinemas. 

The girls bickered amiably about what film they wanted to see the entire way into the building. However, as soon as they got inside they both exclaimed, “Interstellar!” 

Jade grinned at Tori. “So Interstellar?” 

Tori blushed and nodded. Jade paid for their tickets (despite Tori’s arguments) and they compromised on the popcorn which Tori purchased. They sat down in the cool theatre and in the dark, Tori rested her head on her girlfriend’s shoulder. 

*

“That was the most incredible film I have ever seen,” Tori commented three hours later as they sat in the car, munching on the leftover popcorn. 

“I didn’t really get it,” Jade admitted looking out of the window at the darkening sky. It was getting late and Tori would have to go home soon. 

“Yeah, it was a bit complicated,” Tori mumbled. “D-do you think that maybe I could go over to your house instead of going home tonight?” 

The effect was immediate. Jade’s entire body stiffened, her hand clenched against the steering wheel, knuckles going unbearably white. 

“No,” she said quietly. “You can’t come over. Not now, not ever.” 

Tori was hurt. It surprised her how much that hurt. 

“Why not?” she demanded. Jade still refused to look at her.

“Tori,” Jade stressed. “Can’t you just accept that I have a perfectly good reason why you can never come to my house?” 

Tori narrowed her eyes, slightly angry now. “Not unless you tell me that reason!” 

The raven-haired beauty finally turned around to look at her girlfriend. Tori was shocked to see the pure agitation and fear etched on her beautiful face. The brunette couldn’t   
understand it, couldn’t understand why Jade was so afraid of the idea. 

“You just can’t, okay? It-it wouldn’t be smart.” Jade’s voice trembled slightly and worry burst through Tori’s veins. Something wasn’t right here. The brunette gently put a hand on Jade’s thigh and the girl flinched. 

“Jade, what is going on?” Tori asked firmly. 

“Nothing! Just because we’re together now, doesn’t mean I have to tell you everything!” Jade exploded. Tori felt tears of frustration, anger and hurt prickle at her eyes. She recognized the defense mechanism that Jade always returned to when she wasn’t comfortable with the situation, when she wasn’t in control. It wasn’t an excuse to talk to her like that though. 

“Actually, being in a relationship does mean that! It means trust,” Tori bit back. “Don’t you trust me?” 

Jade’s features softened as she saw the unshed tears glistening in the brunette’s eyes.

“Of course I do, Tori,” she sighed. “I didn’t mean it, okay? It’s just- some things are better left unsaid.” 

Tori didn’t reply, only sinking back into the car seat and glaring out of the window. She knew she was being childish and possibly even selfish, but right then, she didn’t care. She wanted Jade to be able to tell her everything. She wanted her to trust her completely. 

“Take me home,” Tori murmured quietly. Jade sighed, feeling her stomach drop to her toes. She knew she had done the right thing not telling Tori, but then why did she feel like total crap? 

It’s for the best. It’s still early days. She would probably run for the hills if she knew. 

The car ride home was silent, awkward at best. The tension between them was unbearable for Jade but she didn’t have a clue on how to fix it. The day had been going perfectly. 

Why did it have to end on such an awful note? 

When Jade pulled up to Tori’s house, the brunette sighed heavily, feeling shame circle her body. She shouldn’t have reacted the way she did. She should have respected Jade’s privacy. 

“Jade, I’m sorry,” she murmured. “I shouldn’t have pushed like that.” 

Jade felt relief stronger than anything else. Tori didn’t hate her. It was okay. “Don’t apologise, okay? You know I have problems opening up at the best of times. Just wait for me to catch up. It may take a while before I’m ready to tell you everything.” 

Tori nodded, accepting the answer. She leaned in and placed a sweet kiss on Jade’s cheek. Jade grabbed Tori’s face and leaned in, kissing the brunette on the lips with an intensity that was hard to ignore. Tori immediately melted into the touch, a moan caught in her throat when their tongues clashed together. 

It was hot, desperate and needy. She suddenly realized that Jade was afraid of losing her. The tight clinginess of the kiss told her as much. The girl was completely and utterly terrified and Tori felt her heart clench at the newfound knowledge. The fact that she had gotten angry at the Goth previously now seemed silly. Jade needed her to be there for her and not question it. She needed Tori’s support, and the brunette was determined to give it to her. 

The girls finally pulled apart, breathing heavily. 

“I get it,” Tori whispered. “I’m just worried about you.” 

“I know,” Jade whispered back as she pressed her forehead against the brunette’s. “But I’ll be alright. I always am.” 

Those last three words seemed forced and Tori looked into those green eyes with all the concern in the world. 

“Are you sure?” 

Jade didn’t answer and that was all Tori needed to know the truth. 

“Jade, listen to me,” Tori said slightly desperately. “I’m not going anywhere. Do you hear me? I’m not going anywhere.” 

A sarcastic laugh escaped the raven-haired beauty’s lips. “It’s only been a couple of weeks, Vega. How can you possibly say that?” 

Tori’s nostrils flared. “We may have only been dating for a few weeks, but how many years have I been fighting for your friendship? I have never once given up. Yes, it wasn’t easy, but it was so worth it.” 

Jade’s eyes watered and a thin smile played on her lips. “Thank you. Really. It means so much to me-”

Her voice broke and Tori pressed a soft kiss against her lips. 

“I’ve got to go,” she whispered. “But I’ll text you, okay?” 

“Okay,” Jade mumbled back. Tori gave her once last, fleeting smile, and got out of the car. The night air was cold and she shivered, hurrying to her front door before she froze.   
Looking back, Tori saw Jade wipe her eyes before pulling out of her driveway. The worry she felt for the girl never ceased and she sighed. 

Opening the door to her house, she stepped in, surprised to see that all the lights were turned off. Turning them back on again, she called out, “Trina?” There was no response and she frowned. Maybe the girl had gone to bed early? It seemed unlikely, but she shrugged, not worrying about it too much. It wasn’t unlike her sister to forget to lock the door if she had gone out with some friends. 

Getting a glass of water, she trudged up the stairs and to her room, her thoughts never once wavering from Jade. Her reaction tonight had been worrying to say the least and she was trying desperately to connect the dots, to figure out why she had been so afraid at the idea of Tori going to her home. 

She sat on her bed and put the glass of water on her bedside table. And that’s when it hit her. 

Long-sleeved shirts. Never showing anything above the knee. 

“Oh-oh my God,” Tori whispered, horrified by the direction her thoughts had turned to. “She’s not- she’s not abused at home, is she?”   
Tori refused to believe it. There was no way. There had to be another reason. But she couldn’t shake the growing dread in her stomach. 

If Jade was in danger… 

Tori promised herself that she would ask the raven-haired beauty in the morning. She had to know. She had to make sure that her girlfriend was safe.


	20. Chapter Twenty

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> TRIGGER WARNING. I'm warning readers right now, this chapter is extremely triggering for child abuse and self harm. Please do not read if it will upset you, it's the last thing I want to do.

Hands wrapped around Jade’s throat, cutting off the oxygen to her brain. Her mother’s twisted face swam in and out of her vision as she struggled to breathe. The heavy weight of the woman’s body on her midriff caused black spots to dot her sight. Panic clouded Jade’s rational brain as she squirmed and kicked underneath her attacker but with little result. 

“You stupid bitch!” 

Her mother’s words barely registered.

“You have no respect for me. How many times have I told you to be home before ten? How dare you disobey me? It’s about time you were properly punished!” 

Tears flowed freely down Jade’s cheeks as her body finally went limp. She had no energy to fight anymore as she wavered between consciousness and unconsciousness. 

“You deserve this, you worthless piece of shit. Everything bad that ever happens to me is because of you!” 

Saliva flew over Jade’s face as she focused on the green specks in her mother’s naturally brown eyes. Sounds were now becoming muffled and she felt a strange lightness overcome her body, as if she could step out of it and float away. 

Jade knew that this was it. Her mother would finally kill her. She would be free from the torture that was her life. She would never have to suffer through her mother’s abuse again.  
A small smile drifted on her lips as she forced herself to relax. It was okay. She wanted this to happen. She was ready for this. 

A sudden growl pierced through the hazy parts of Jade’s brain and she tried to frown, as she wondered where the sound was coming from. A high pitched yelp sounded out and then she recognized the screaming of her mother. The grip around her throat loosened and then she was gulping in air, suddenly being able to breathe again. Her vision was still blurry as she struggled to sit upright. Jade realized that the growling was coming from her German Shepard, Lucy, who was clearly trying to protect her. She caught glimpses of the dog, jaw clamped around her mother’s arm who was shrieking and trying desperately to shake the animal off of her. Jade wanted desperately to ensure that Lucy would be okay but she still was unable to move properly, the risk of fainting too great. 

“You stupid animal! Get off of me!” 

Her mother drew her leg back and kicked Lucy hard in the side. The dog yelped and lay still on the kitchen floor, whimpering quietly. Jade felt rage bubble deep in her stomach as her vision started to clear. 

“How dare you?” she hissed, her voice hoarse. “How dare you lay a hand on my dog!?”

The woman turned to her, eyes glinting menacingly. “You’re lucky she was here to save you.” 

Tears exploded from Jade’s eyes as she sobbed, watching her mother storm out of the kitchen and to the front door. Seconds later, it slammed shut and she was alone in her house with nothing but her injured dog and her throbbing neck to keep her company. Jade crawled across the tiles and put her hand in Lucy’s soft fur. Her beautiful dog whined but turned her head to lick Jade’s hand. 

“I love you so much, Lucy. You saved my life,” Jade blubbered and buried her face in the dog’s fur. Lucy cried with her owner as the two laid there on the floor, feeling the pain that was inflicted by a loved one. Jade had never felt more alone and hopeless. She almost wished Lucy hadn’t stepped in because then she wouldn’t have to deal with the repercussions. There was one thing she was sure of though, she couldn’t stay here any longer. Her mother’s violence had never gotten this bad before and Jade knew that she had to leave. Even if that meant living on the streets for a while before she got back on her feet. 

To her relief, Lucy was able to walk and Jade guided her to her bed, making sure that the dog was comfortable before letting her rest.

“You’ll be okay in the morning, Lucy. I promise,” Jade whispered, stroking the dog’s ears. She knew she had to get the German Shepard to a vet but she could not possibly drive in her condition, only hoping that her dog would be okay during the night. 

When Lucy had fallen asleep, Jade stumbled into the kitchen and grabbed an icepack, pressing it against her bruising neck. She felt numb, unable to believe the events that had just occurred. Her mother made Jade hate herself and hate the life she lived. Her brain was conflicted; half relieved that Lucy had saved her and half disappointed that her mother hadn’t succeeded snuffing her life out like a candle. It would have been so easy. A few more seconds and she would have stopped breathing. It would have been over.  
Jade groaned and put her face in her hands, her fingers itching for something sharp to press against her skin and relieve the frustration that she was feeling. Solving pain with pain, something nobody would understand unless they had gone through it themselves. The kitchen was abundant in sharp knives… she just had to grab one. 

Jade clenched her fists knowing that she shouldn’t but God she wanted to! She gritted her teeth and looked up, spotting the knives in their holders. She would use the biggest one there. The sharpest one. She would dig it into her skin until she couldn’t stand it anymore. She had to see the blood run free and down her arms, dripping onto the white tiles below. 

Before she could think about it any longer, she reached over and grabbed the knife, pulling up the sleeve of her sweater just like she had done a thousand times before. She looked at her scar covered arm and flared her nostrils, knowing she was going to add another one to the collection. 

Biting her tongue, she dug the sharp end of the knife into the fleshy skin of her forearm and watched as the blood pooled underneath the blade. The sting that came with the cut made her forget the throbbing of her throat for a moment and with relish, she cut again and again until her arm was a bloody mess, almost no skin showing through the deep red.  
Tears were flowing down her cheeks and her brain was fuzzy, unable to think a coherent thought except for the fact that she was in pain and she just wanted everything to stop. She wanted it to end. She couldn’t stand it anymore. 

Jade watched the blood drip onto the white tiles when suddenly the image of Tori’s face popped into her mind and she almost gasped, dropping the knife to the floor. Tori, beautiful Tori who knew nothing about this. Tori, who cared for her and wanted to be with her. The girl who saw past the strong façade and still liked her anyway. How could Jade do this to her? Tori deserved so much more than what Jade could give her. If she knew about the self-harm and what her mother did to her, she would run for the hills. She would think Jade was a freak. Jade wouldn’t blame her. She was a freak. She just wished she could treat Tori the way she deserved to be treated. 

Part of her wanted to tell Tori. She wanted to confess everything. Jade wanted to be proved that someone could still care for her with the knowledge that she was fucked up. She wanted Tori to be different than the others. 

With a shaking hand that was still covered in blood, she took out her phone and stared at it, wondering if calling Tori would be a good idea. Would she be asleep? Their relationship was still new. Would calling her now ruin everything they had built together? 

Her legs were shaking from blood loss and she felt faint and nauseas. Jade flipped through her phone and found Tori’s contact. She wouldn’t call her but she would text her. Her eyes could barely focus on the tiny keyboard but she managed to type out a few little words; I’m not doing so well.  
She sunk to the kitchen floor, sitting in the small pool of blood that had gathered on the tiles. Her entire body was throbbing now and her arm was stinging so much that her vision had started to blur again. 

“I’ll just… close my eyes for a bit,” she murmured deliriously and then she lost consciousness. 

*

Tori’s phone vibrated in her hand and she awoke with a start. Groaning, she looked at the clock on her bedside table and saw that it was one in the morning. Who would be texting her at that time? Her phone screen was too bright and for a second she couldn’t see properly, but once her eyes had adjusted, her stomach dropped sickeningly. It was from Jade. 

I’m not doing so well. 

Tori stared at her phone for a good few minutes, her brain refusing to register what she was reading. However, that couldn’t last forever and soon panic set in. Complete and utter panic. Her mind immediately jumped to the worst conclusion and she hurried out of bed, throwing on the first pieces of clothing she could find. She wasn’t even thinking clearly.  
Jade was in trouble. That’s all she knew and she had to see if her girlfriend was okay. 

As quietly as she could so that she didn’t wake up Trina, she headed downstairs, picking up her sister’s car keys and leaving the house. It was cold outside and she shivered, realizing she had put on the shortest singlet she owned. Tori cursed her bad luck and jogged to the car, opening it and settling herself into the driver’s seat. Her hands were shaking as she tried to put the key into ignition and she dropped it a few times before finally turning the car on. She pulled out of the driveway and headed down the road, trying to stay calm. However, her heart was pounding and she couldn’t help but think of the worst possible situation. 

What if Jade was hurt? 

What if something terrible had happened? 

Tori couldn’t stand the waiting and so she put her foot down, going way over the speed limit. She couldn’t find it in herself to care. She knew she could get into serious trouble for driving without a license and speeding but if it meant she could somehow help Jade, it didn’t matter to her. 

It wasn’t long before she arrived at her girlfriend’s house. She pulled up at the building and practically yanked the car door open, running up to the house. Tori knocked on the door hurriedly and when there was no answer, she tried the knob, her stomach sinking even further when she realized that the house wasn’t locked. Swallowing the lump in her throat and clenching her hands, she stepped inside the hallway, feeling a knot of despair form in her stomach. 

“Jade?” Tori called out but she was met with silence. “Jade, please answer me.” 

Her heart was pounding so hard that she could hear it in her ears. She was afraid she was going to pass out from panic. “Jade!” 

Suddenly, she heard the faint sound of whimpering. Tori frowned and walked further into the house, hearing the whimpering sounds get louder. It reminded her of a dog. She didn’t know Jade had a pet. Tori wondered what else she didn’t know about Jade. She started to think that there was a lot. 

Tori noticed that there was a light on at the end of the house and she figured that it must be the kitchen. She peered cautiously around the door and felt her heart rise into her throat, along with bile. 

“Jade! Jade, oh God!” Tori shrieked and ran into the room almost slipping on her girlfriend’s blood in the process. “Oh no, no, no!” 

She grabbed Jade’s face and saw with panic that her eyes were closed. Tori saw all the blood running down the black-haired beauty’s arm and the nasty-looking bruises on her neck and for a second, Tori couldn’t do anything. She wanted to curl into a ball and never emerge. Panic was freezing her muscles and a scream was building up into her throat. Tears were blurring her vision and she sobbed. 

“Why would you do this to yourself?” she blubbered. 

Tori got to her feet shakily and grabbed her phone. She had to call the ambulance. She jabbed 911. 

“Hello, what is your emergency?” the cool voice of the operator came over the receiver. 

“I need an ambulance, now!” Tori shouted. 

“What is your address, ma’am?”

Tori told the woman and hung up, dropping her phone onto the floor. She crawled up to her girlfriend and took her hand, squeezing tightly. 

“It’s okay, Jade. It’s okay. You’re going to be fine. I promise, I promise,” she babbled. Jade’s face was scarily pale and her chest was barely rising. Tori didn’t know what she would do if she lost Jade. She wouldn’t be able to cope. Looking at her girlfriend’s face now, she realized just how much Jade meant to her. 

Tori’s eyes spotted the knife that was covered in Jade’s blood on the floor and she couldn’t stop the bile from rising once again. She stumbled over to the kitchen sink and wretched into the porcelain, expelling the poison from her body.

Tori finally stopped vomiting and she slid to the floor next to her girlfriend, gasping for breath. She closed her eyes and breathed in deeply, trying to calm herself down. Her throat was sore and she had an awful taste in her mouth. Tori couldn’t believe that she was in this situation. Not once in a million years did she think Jade would do this to herself.  
Tori cried even harder when she realized that she couldn’t recognize the pain that her own girlfriend was in. 

She looked over at Jade’s still figure and her eyes landed on her bruised neck. Sudden anger bubbled up inside of her, stronger than anything she had ever felt. Tori knew that Jade didn’t cause those wounds to herself. Someone had tried to strangle her girlfriend. She was going to kill whoever did that to Jade. There wasn’t a chance in hell that they were getting away with this. 

The sudden knock on the door brought her out of her reverie and she ran to the front door, yanking it open. Two men were waiting, pulling a gurney with them. 

“She’s in the kitchen!” Tori sobbed. 

The men pushed her aside and went into the house, leaving Tori shivering and breathless outside. The ambulance was parked down at the driveway and she looked at the flashing lights on top of the vehicle. She didn’t think she could cope watching whatever they were going to do to Jade and so she stayed where she was, almost tempted to actually pray that her girlfriend would be okay.

Tori wasn’t waiting long. The men soon hurried back outside with Jade on the gurney. They had strapped a breathing mask to her face and they wheeled her down to the ambulance. Tori watched with baited breath as they slid the gurney into the back of the vehicle and then got back in behind the wheel.

Tori was sure that they were going to leave without her but she was proven wrong when a woman hopped out of the vehicle and motioned for Tori to come forwards. She did, running down to the ambulance.

“Are you a friend of hers?” the woman asked. Tori merely nodded. “You can get in the back then.” 

She didn’t even hesitate and climbed into the ambulance where Jade was, sitting beside her unconscious girlfriend. The woman closed the door and then they were moving, heading to the hospital. Tori grabbed Jade’s cold hand and waited. 

*

Tori paced the waiting room, wringing her hands nervously. It had been a few hours since Jade had been admitted and she hadn’t heard anything since then. The hospital was brightly lit but smelled like antiseptic. Tori hated it in here. Her eyes were itching from tiredness and she was dehydrated but she couldn’t do anything until she knew what was happening with Jade. 

Suddenly, she saw a nurse hurrying towards her. “Are you Tori Vega?” 

Tori nodded. “Where’s Jade? Is she okay?” 

The nurse gave her a small smile. “Your friend is going to be fine. She’s lost a lot of blood but we are hoping she will be conscious in a few hours. We’ve closed her wounds but she’s going to need to stay here for observation.” 

Relief flooded every pore in Tori’s body. She almost started crying. “Oh, thank you. Thank you so much.” 

The nurse put a hand on her shoulder and guided Tori into a seat. “Honey, have you looked after yourself? Do you need any food or water? Maybe you should go home. Jade is in good hands here.”

Tori shook her head rigorously. “No, I’m staying.”

The nurse nodded, as if she hadn’t expected anything else. “At least feed yourself. The cafeteria is just down that hallway.”

“Thank you. You are very kind,” Tori smiled tiredly. 

“We will tell you when you can go in and see her.” 

The nurse walked away and Tori slumped into her chair. She pulled out her phone and texted Trina, letting her know what had happened and where she was. When she put her phone back in her pocket, her stomach growled loudly. Now that she knew Jade would be okay, the anxiety had disappeared and now her body needed sustenance. She got up and meandered over to the cafeteria, grabbing a sandwich and a hot coffee. The food wasn’t amazing but it was exactly what Tori needed and she went back to the waiting room, sitting down and eating.

Once she had finished, tiredness overcame her body and she sighed, leaning into the chair and closing her eyes. A few hours of rest wouldn’t hurt. In Tori’s eyes, the quicker she slept, the quicker she could see Jade. 

“Things will be okay, things will be okay,” she whispered to herself.

Tori soon fell into a deep sleep, dreaming about Jade and all the things she would say to her once she was awake.


	21. Chapter Twenty-One

“How do you feel?” Tori asked sheepishly as she grabbed ahold of Jade’s hand, probably tighter than she intended. Jade blearily smiled up at her from the hospital bed and squeezed Tori’s hand slightly. 

“I’m fine Tori,” she murmured. The doctors had put the girl on strong painkillers and so Jade wasn’t entirely with it. 

“God, Jade. I was so worried,” Tori admitted closing her eyes. Her entire body was aching from exhaustion but that was nothing compared to the relief she felt at seeing Jade’s eyes open and her cheeks flushed with color. 

“I’m sorry,” Jade whispered. Tori swallowed the lump in her throat and glanced at Jade’s bandaged covered arm and then to her still-bruised throat. 

“Jade, what happened last night?” Tori asked. Jade shook her head and looked away, refusing to meet Tori’s eyes. “Please tell me. I can’t help you if you don’t.” 

“Vega, I’ve just woken up and my head is killing me,” Jade said coldly. “Can’t you at least give me a few hours before bombarding me with questions?”

Hurt spiked through Tori’s body along with anger. “Do you have any idea of what I went through last night!?” 

“Do you have any idea of what I went through?” Jade spat back, finally looking at Tori. The girls’ eyes were flashing with fear and frustration but Tori just couldn’t understand. 

“No! That’s why I’m asking!” Tori exclaimed yanking her hand out of Jade’s and standing up, starting to pace around the small room. “I raced to your house after your ridiculously vague text and found you bleeding to death on the kitchen floor from wounds you had inflicted!”

Jade struggled to sit up, glaring at Tori. She was clearly angry now but Tori wasn’t having any of it. After everything that had happened, she deserved an explanation and she wasn’t letting Jade slither out of this one. 

“Do you see these?” Jade practically yelled, pointing at her injured neck. “Do you fucking see this?” 

Tori swallowed, suddenly feeling timid and overwhelmed but she nodded. 

“My mother. My own goddamn mother tried to strangle me last night. My mother!” Jade croaked out, tears appearing out of nowhere and sliding down her cheeks. Tori was lost for words. She had had an inkling that Jade was being abused but actually hearing it out loud made it real. 

Pure and raw anger replaced the fear that Tori was feeling and she gritted her teeth, balling her hands into fists. She would kill Jade’s mother. She would kill her. 

“You have to tell the police,” Tori said her voice oddly calm. Jade looked at her girlfriend sharply, angrily wiping away the tears on her face. 

“Are you crazy? They would never believe me,” she sniffed. 

“The bruises on your neck is evidence, Jade,” Tori said pleading with the girl now. She sat back down beside the bed and gently ran her fingers through her girlfriend’s hair. 

“No, don’t tell anybody, please Tori,” Jade murmured. Tori didn’t reply to that because she couldn’t promise anything. If telling somebody helped Jade, then she would do it in a heartbeat. Besides, the doctors would want to know how those bruises got there. If Jade wasn’t going to tell the truth then Tori would. 

“The hospital is going to keep you here for observation, you know,” she said instead. 

“What do you mean?” 

“You hurt yourself, Jade. You almost died because of your self-inflicted wounds. You’re going to be put under suicide watch.” 

Tori had said the ‘S’ word out loud and both girls flinched at the sound of it. 

“I’m fine! I wasn’t trying to… kill myself,” Jade hissed getting angry again. “I just… I just-”

She trailed off and Tori looked at her girlfriend in sadness, still wondering how she hadn’t seen how depressed Jade really was. She felt like a failure. 

“I promise you Jade, I’m not going anywhere,” Tori whispered. “I’m going to help you through whatever is coming next. I promise.” 

Jade scoffed but started crying again. “Don’t make promises you can’t keep!” 

“Watch me,” Tori said. 

“You’re so stubborn,” Jade replied shaking her head. Tori wiped the tears from Jade’s cheek and leaned in, placing a soft kiss on her skin. 

“You’re my girlfriend, Jade. I’m here for you through thick and thin.” 

“I thought- I thought that if you knew what was really happening, you’d run for the hills,” Jade admitted leaning into Tori’s touch. 

“Jade, I-I really like you,” Tori stammered. “I want to be with you. No matter what.” 

Jade looked up at Tori with so much affection and appreciation that Tori almost got whiplash as a result. Her heart started pounding in her chest as she glanced at Jade’s lips. Jade noticed the movement of Tori’s eyes and leant in quickly, brushing her lips against Tori’s in a chaste kiss. 

“You’re supposed to be resting,” Tori murmured. 

“Screw that,” Jade whispered and then they were kissing again, all the pent up anger, fear and frustration being released in that one moment. The kiss soon became heated and Jade pulled Tori on top of her, being careful not to hit her injured arm. 

“Jade,” Tori said between kisses. “This isn’t a good idea. We could get caught.”

“Stop talking,” Jade growled and deepened the kiss even further. Tori was conflicted as she felt her body heat up in response, the ache between her legs growing. However, she knew that Jade was just trying to distract herself. She probably didn’t even want this to happen. Not here, not like this. 

Tori pulled away with a gasp and sat up, straddling Jade’s waist. “Stop.” 

Jade frowned and rested her uninjured hand on Tori’s hip. Both girls were breathing heavily, faces flushed and eyes diluted. “What’s wrong?” 

“You’re hurt, Jade. Believe me, I want to but just not here, okay? Not in this damn hospital and not while you’re injured,” Tori replied smiling softly and kissing Jade’s forehead. 

“I guess you’re right,” the black-haired beauty sighed, leaning back into her pillows. 

“You should rest,” Tori said. “I’ll be here when you wake up.” 

Jade blinked up at her. “Promise?” 

Tori had never seen her girlfriend this vulnerable before and it pulled at her heart. “I promise.” 

*

Tori sipped at her coffee, her knee bouncing with slight nerves as she sat in front of the doctor whose name had slipped her mind.

“Does Jade have any family?” 

Tori gritted her teeth at the question. 

“Unfortunately,” she muttered. 

“I’m sorry, what was that?” he asked, jotting something down on his clipboard. Tori rolled her eyes. 

“Yes, she does. Her mother.” 

“Do you know her name?” 

“No.” 

More writing. 

“Do you know the nature of Jade and her mother’s relationship?” 

Tori frowned, feeling the butterflies in her stomach double. “Should you be asking these questions?” 

The doctor leaned forward and put the clipboard on the table. “Look, the bruises on Jade’s neck match those of a handprint. Jade was attacked last night and the first place we look at is family. If you know anything at all, now would be the time to tell me.” 

Of course they would figure it out. They weren’t stupid. Tori felt slightly relieved. Now Jade couldn’t get angry at her because they already knew. 

She nodded slightly. “Jade’s mother tried to strangle her last night. This was before… before she hurt herself.” 

The doctor sighed and shook his head. “I really hate hearing about domestic violence cases. It’s so wrong, you know?” 

Tori merely nodded, swallowing the large lump in her throat. The entire situation just made her angry and upset. There was nothing more she would like to do than to fucking stab Jade’s mother herself. 

“What’s going to happen?” Tori asked. 

“I’m going to arrange a social worker to pay Ms. West a visit,” he replied. “It might take a while but with the evidence provided, there is a good chance she will go to court for the crimes she has committed against her daughter.”

Tori liked the sound of that. “And Jade?” 

“Hmm, well, Jade is going to have to attend group therapy as well as one-on-one sessions with a psychologist.” 

Tori’s eyebrows went through the roof. There was no way Jade would do any of those things. She would rather die. “You’re going to have a hard job getting her to cooperate.” 

The doctor looked at Tori for a second. “I have a feeling you’ll persuade her otherwise.”

“Don’t get your hopes up,” Tori said almost laughing. Jade go to therapy? No way in hell. 

“I’m sure you are aware of how important it is for her to get help. She almost died last night. This is the only way to ensure it won’t happen again.” 

That sobered Tori up straight away and she nodded. “I’ll try my hardest.” 

The doctor nodded and smiled. “Good.” 

Tori got up out of the seat and stuck her hand out. “It was nice meeting you.” 

“You too, Tori. Stay safe.” 

They shook hands and Tori walked out of the room and into the bustling corridors of the hospital. She was starting to get sick of smelling antiseptic and hearing the sounds of crying people. Not to mention all the illnesses that she could possibly receive. She just hoped Jade would be released soon. 

As she headed back to the waiting room, her mind wandered to the rest of their friends; Beck, Cat, Andre and Robbie. They didn’t know about any of this. They didn’t know about her and Jade’s relationship and they certainly didn’t know about Jade’s situation at home. Tori frowned. Did Beck? Did Jade tell Beck about this? 

Tori sat down on a chair and played with her phone. She wondered if Jade would protest to being visited by the group. However, knowing the black-haired beauty, she wouldn’t want anybody to see her in this position; weak and vulnerable. 

Tori sighed. No, she wouldn’t tell the others. It wasn’t her place to. Besides, Tori had far more pressing matters on her hands. Like convincing her girlfriend that therapy was the best option for her. The brunette grimaced and rubbed at her eyes, imagining how that conversation would go with Jade. The girl wouldn’t be happy, that was for sure.

*

“Jade, be reasonable about this,” Tori protested. Jade was now sitting up in the hospital bed, looking much better than she had been when she had first woken up. Her cheeks were a healthier color and her famous scowl was adorned on her face telling Tori that she was feeling back to her old self again. The thought both pleased and exasperated her.

“I’m not fucking crazy, Tori,” Jade hissed. “I don’t need a goddamn shrink!”

“I never said you were crazy,” Tori replied, trying to appear as calm as possible. “But you’ve been through something extremely traumatic! It’s really important that you talk to somebody about it, Jade. Before you do something even more drastic than this.” She gestured to the hospital bed. 

“I have you to talk to,” Jade said stubbornly. Tori smiled slightly, feeling her chest warm up at the fact that Jade felt like she trusted her enough to open up. 

“I can’t give you all the answers you know,” she joked. “Even if I am always right.” 

Jade scoffed but grinned. Tori’s heart sped up at the sight, relishing in the way Jade’s eyes lit up. “What are you talking about? You’re never right!”

Tori pretended to be hurt by this. “How dare you? You’ve gone and broken my heart now!”

Jade yanked on Tori’s arm and pulled the girl down on top of her, surprising the brunette. They came face-to-face and Jade pouted. 

“Baby, you know I didn’t mean it,” she whispered. Tori’s body melted along with her brain, unable to think of a rational response. She watched as Jade’s face split into an impossible smile. 

“Don’t laugh at me,” Tori murmured, captivated by her girlfriend’s beautiful eyes. She knew she was getting distracted from the very important conversation that they should have been having but she couldn’t help it. It was rare to see Jade like this and as far as she was aware, Tori was the only person who got to experience this side of her. 

Jade pulled her in for a kiss and Tori relaxed into her touch, closing her eyes and sighing into the girl. For a moment she could forget everything that was happening in her life and just be in this moment with Jade. 

“I’ll consider it,” Jade whispered when they pulled away. Tori looked at her with hopeful eyes, hardly daring to believe her luck. 

“Really?” she asked. 

“Yes. If it means you will be less worried about me then I will consider talking to a psychologist.” 

Tori grinned and kissed Jade’s forehead. “Thank you. I’m so relieved.” 

Jade smiled back. “Do me a favor though and don’t tell the others.”

“Of course. I wouldn’t tell them anyway. It’s not really their business.”

“You’re right. Thank you, Tori.”

*

Tori collapsed into her bed with an exhausted sigh. Her body was screaming for sleep. It had been the longest 48 hours of her life but now that she knew that Jade was safe and resting in the hospital, she could now relax. 

The doctor’s had said that Jade would be released in a few days if all went to plan. The girl had to attend group therapy every Friday and see the psychologist, Michelle, every Monday. Tori was still dubious but she felt that her girlfriend would do the right thing in the end. 

Tori closed her eyes and let her mind wander. She thought of Jade’s missing mother and anger flared in her veins. That woman had better hope she never ran into her otherwise Tori would teach her a lesson. There wasn’t a doubt in the girl’s mind that Jade’s mother would get away with this. 

There was a sudden knock on Tori’s bedroom door. “Come in.”

Trina walked in and smiled gently at her younger sister. Tori smiled back but noticed with slight worry that the girl looked exhausted and drained, dark circles underlining her eyes. 

“Hey,” Trina said. 

“Hey.”

Trina sat down on Tori’s bed. “How’s Jade?”

Tori sighed and stared up at the ceiling. “She’ll live.” 

“You must be worried about her.”

“You have no idea.” 

Trina reached out and ran her fingers through Tori’s hair. The brunette almost jumped with surprise, not expecting the loving gesture from her sister. 

“Are you okay?” Trina asked.

Tori looked at her and saw the worry lining the older girl’s face. “Trina, I’m fine. Don’t worry. Jade will be out of the hospital any time now.” 

“I’m glad.” 

The girl’s sat there in silence for a while, Trina still absentmindedly running her fingers through Tori’s soft hair. Tori was feeling slightly uneasy at the strange mood her sister was in. 

“Trina, are you okay?”

“Hmm?” she replied not seeming to have heard Tori. 

“Are you okay?” Tori frowned. 

“Oh, I’m fine,” Trina gave a half-hearted smile but it was clear that her mind was elsewhere. 

“Are you sure? You’re acting really weird.”

Trina was silent for a moment before sighing. “I’m just thinking about mum and dad.”

Tori scowled. “I wish you wouldn’t. They don’t deserve our time or affection.” 

“They’re still our parents, Tori,” Trina reminded her. 

“I don’t care!” Tori exclaimed. “After the shit they’ve put us through, I don’t want anything to do with them!” 

Trina opened her mouth, about to say something but then she closed it again, seeming to think better of it. “Yeah, you’re right. You should get to sleep lil’ sis.’”

She kissed Tori gently on the forehead and walked out of the room, closing the door quietly behind her. Tori frowned at the now-closed door, wondering what all of that had been. She had never seen Trina act so strangely. 

Tori sighed and stared back up at the ceiling, groaning internally. Now she had both Jade and Trina to worry about. Would she ever get a break? 

Rolling over onto her side, she closed her eyes once again and this time, didn’t open them until the birds were chirping and the sun had risen high in the sky.


	22. Chapter Twenty-Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shitty chapter, soz.

“When do you start group therapy?”

Jade scowled and shook her head. “This week sometime. I’m not allowed to leave the hospital until I go to at least one session.”

“You know it’s what’s best for you,” Tori smiled running her hand through her disgruntled girlfriend’s hair. 

“According to you,” she grumbled. 

“According to everyone,” Tori laughed. 

“Have you heard any more about Lucy?” Jade suddenly asked. 

“I’ve told you already Jade. Lucy is going to be fine. You’re lucky to have such a loyal dog, you know,” Tori replied nudging Jade with her shoulder. The police had found the injured dog whimpering in her bed and rushed her to the vets. Luckily, there wasn’t internal bleeding and she would be released around the same time that Jade would. Tori figured that their reunion would be good for Jade. 

There was a knock on the door and a doctor came in looking stern. “Come now Tori, you know it’s not visiting hour.” 

“She’s my girlfriend, I should be allowed to see her whenever I want to,” Tori said hotly. Jade snickered from the bed. 

“Miss West needs her rest. I must insist that you come back later.

Tori was going to protest but Jade interrupted. “It’s okay babe. I’ll see you later. You should be getting ready for school after all.”

“Did you have to remind me of that fact?” Tori groaned.

Jade’s fingers tickled Tori’s thigh. “You know it’s true. The holidays are almost over.” 

“Fine,” Tori whined. “But when you’re finally out of here, I’m going to make you sort out which of my pens are working and which aren’t.”

Jade laughed loudly and nodded. “You got a deal Vega.” 

Tori smiled and leant over, giving Jade a kiss on the forehead. Whilst she was leaving the room, she gave the doctor a glare. There, that should teach him to keep her away from her girlfriend again.

*

To get home from the hospital, Tori had to drive past Jade’s house. She couldn’t help herself and she glanced at the building. The police tapes had been taken down and so it just looked like another ordinary house. However, she saw something on the driveway that made her slam her foot down on the brakes. 

A car. 

The first thing that went through Tori’s mind was revenge. There was no doubt that it was Jade’s mother’s car on that driveway which meant she was inside the house. Pure anger raced through her body and she pulled her own car over onto the sidewalk and practically flew out of the door. That woman was going to pay for what she did to Jade. 

Tori raced up the driveway and to the entrance of the house. She tried to open the door but it was locked. Taking a deep breath, she rapped angrily on the wood. She heard a sudden crash occur from inside the house and then a woman’s voice cursed. 

“Who is it?” 

“Just open the damn door!” Tori yelled back. There were heavy footsteps and then the sounds of somebody fiddling at the lock. The door was pulled open and a middle-aged woman was standing behind it. The resemblance to Jade was uncanny. They both had raven-black hair and the same piercing green eyes. 

“You’re Jade’s mother,” Tori spat. She was so angry her hands were shaking. 

The woman’s face turned into a sneer. “What’s it to you? Who are you?”

“It doesn’t matter who I am!” Tori exclaimed. “Do you have any idea what you did to Jade?” 

The woman rolled her eyes. “It’s none of your business.”

“She’s in hospital you vile woman! She’s in hospital because of you!” 

The woman went silent, her face blank. Before Tori could comprehend what was happening, she had stepped back inside and almost closed the door. Tori stuck her foot out and stopped it from closing all the way. 

“Hell no, you’re not getting out of this one that easily!” 

“Get out of my house,” Jade’s mother screamed as she ran down the hallway and into the kitchen. Tori followed her, keeping the front door open. 

“Not until you know how much agony you’ve put your daughter through!” 

“I don’t want to know!” 

“You don’t want to know?” Tori screeched as she stepped into the kitchen. “What kind of a mother are you? That’s your daughter we’re talking about! You almost killed her!” 

The woman stepped menacingly towards Tori but the brunette didn’t flinch. In fact, she got even angrier and her nostrils flared, ready to defend Jade to the death. 

“Don’t even fucking think about it. If you lay a hand on me, you’ll regret it. I’ll hurt you worse than you did to Jade. Get a taste of your own disgusting medicine.” 

“How dare you talk to me like that? You’re just a kid!”

“How dare you abuse your daughter?” Tori sneered. 

“I’m giving you one warning,” the woman said. “Get out of my house and I won’t call the police.”

“Go ahead, call the police! I’ll just tell them that you’re Jade’s mother and you’re the reason why she’s in hospital right now.” 

“I’m not fucking around kid.”

“Neither am I,” Tori hissed stepping closer to the woman. Something savage crossed her features and Tori was wise enough to move out of the way as she threw a wild fist in the air. Tori’s anger grew.

“You missed you fucking loser.” 

The woman gave an agonized cry and went after Tori again but she was quicker. Tori sidestepped once again and without thinking about it, punched Jade’s mother in the face. Her knuckles impacted with the woman’s nose and blood spurted out all over her face and Tori’s hand. 

Her fist ached from the punch but the satisfaction of hurting this foul human being was worth the pain. 

“You bitch!” the woman screamed as she tried to stem the bleeding. “You broke my fucking nose!” 

“You broke Jade’s heart!” Tori screamed back. 

“I don’t give a shit what I did to Jade! She deserved everything she got and more!”

Tori snapped once again. She threw another punch and this time hit the woman’s eye. She screamed and Tori sneered, just wanting to hurt this woman further. She didn’t deserve Jade. She didn’t deserve to breathe. 

Tori kicked the woman’s legs out from underneath her and she went sprawling on the floor, hitting her head on the linoleum. There was a sickening crack and Jade’s mother fell immediately unconscious, blood pooling from her head. 

“Oh, shit,” Tori gasped, kneeling beside the woman’s body. “Don’t be dead, don’t be dead.” 

Tori leaned her head to the woman’s mouth and sighed in relief when she heard the air flowing in and out of her. 

This was the second time she had been in this kitchen with a bleeding, unconscious person on the floor. Except this time, it was her fault. She expected to feel remorse or guilt but she felt nothing. Nothing but satisfaction. Tori knew that probably made her a terrible person but she couldn’t bring herself to care. Not right now. 

But she knew she couldn’t just leave this woman to bleed out in the kitchen. 

Tori searched for the house phone and for the second time, called an ambulance. She knew she couldn’t use her cell phone in case they figured out it was her who did this. Tori didn’t stick around. As soon as she hung up, she ran out of the house and down to her car, starting it up and speeding out of Jade’s street, the image of blood pouring on white tiles lasting in her mind. 

Tori raced home, lucky not to end up in a car accident herself. She jumped out of the car and slammed open her front door, emotions and thoughts racing around mind. 

“Tori?” 

It was Trina. Tori suddenly went into full-fledged panic mode and paced around the living room, her heart beating irrationally fast. What if the police found out what she did? She would be in so much trouble. Oh God, what was she going to do?

“Tori, what the hell are you doing?” Trina asked standing at the staircase. 

“I messed up Trina. Holy shit, I messed up,” Tori said running a hand through her hair. 

“What are you talking about?”

Trina hurried down the stairs and put her hands on Tori’s shoulder. 

“I did something really bad sis,’” Tori whispered looking into Trina’s murky eyes. The concern there made her want to break down. Her sister was the only person in her family that had always been there for her. She had been acting as her mother while her real parents went gallivanting around doing who knows what. 

“Tori, you’re starting to scare me. What happened?” 

Tori slumped down onto the couch and put her face in her hands. “Did I tell you who hurt Jade?”

“Her mother, wasn’t it?” Trina asked sitting down next to her sister. 

“Yes. Well, today when I was driving home from the hospital, I went past Jade’s house and I saw… I saw Jade’s mother’s car.” 

“Tori, what did you do?” 

“I got so, so angry, Trina. You have no idea. I’ve never been so angry in my life and so… I knocked on the door and she answered it. We argued a bit and-and the next thing I knew, I was punching her and she was on the kitchen floor and there was blood everywhere and oh!” 

“Oh my God, Tori!” Trina exclaimed jumping up from the couch. “Oh my God, this can’t be happening.” 

“I don’t need you freaking out as well!” Tori shrieked almost hysterical now. 

“Well, what am I supposed to do? You didn’t… you didn’t kill her did you?” Trina shrieked as well. 

“No!” Tori exclaimed looking at her sister in shock. “Do you really think I would do that?” 

“I don’t know, Tori! You’ve always had a bit of a temper!” 

“I’m not capable of murder, Trina! I-I called an ambulance and left as quickly as I could.” 

Trina paced around the room this time. “Okay, okay, okay. It’s going to be fine. We just- we just don’t tell anybody, okay?”

“’Don’t tell anybody?’ Really? That’s your great idea?” Tori exclaimed unable to keep the hysteria out of her voice. “What happens if they find out what I did? I’m screwed!” 

“I don’t know, Tori!” Trina said throwing her hands in the air. “This is bad, this is bad.” 

“Maybe-maybe I should just tell the police what happened and-”

“Are you crazy? That’s the stupidest idea I’ve ever heard!” 

“Fine! I won’t tell anyone! But promise me, Trina. Promise me you’ll protect me. Promise me!” Tori cried.

“Of course I will, Tori. I always have and I always will.” 

Tori flung from the couch and wrapped her arms around Trina’s neck, holding her tightly. The tears finally started flowing down her cheeks and onto her sister’s skin. 

“I’m scared, Trina.” 

“I know baby, I know. I’ve got you though, okay? I won’t let anything happen to you. I promise.”

“Should I tell Jade?” Tori blubbered. 

“I-I think you should. She’s going to want to hear it from you, Tori.” 

Tori nodded into Trina’s shoulder. 

“Okay, okay, you’re right.”

Tori let go of Trina and without another word, headed up to her room. She collapsed on her bed and fell blissfully asleep, unaware that her sister was watching her from the doorway.


End file.
